Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Name: Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Prep time: 13 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 28 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italian
Ingredients: 3 ½ oz pancetta; 1 ¾ oz pecorino cheese; 1 ¾ oz parmesan; 3 eggs; 1 tsp salt; 12 oz spaghetti; 2 cloves garlic; 1 ¾ oz unsalted butter; As required black pepper

An Italian dinner. Ready in about 28 minutes. Difficulty: medium.

13 minPrep (about)
15 minCook (about)
28 minTotal time
4Servings
MediumDifficulty

Save Add to my week Add to list Share

MealCovered is invite-only right now. Join the waitlist and we'll let you know.

Join the waitlist Not now

Ingredients

How many people?

− 4 people +

Recipe makes 4

Main ingredient

12 oz spaghetti

Fresh & other

3 ½ oz pancetta
1 ¾ oz pecorino cheese
1 ¾ oz parmesan
3 eggs
2 cloves garlic
1 ¾ oz unsalted butter

Spices & seasonings (2): salt, black pepper

1 tsp salt
As required black pepper

How to make it

Steps in our own plain words.

Put a large pot of water on to boil.
Finely chop your 3 ½ oz pancetta, having first removed any rind.
Finely grate 1 ¾ oz pecorino cheese plus 1 ¾ oz parmesan.
Mix them together.
Beat the 3 big eggs in a medium bowl.
Season using a little freshly grated black pepper.
Set everything aside.
Add 1 tsp salt to your boiling water.
Add 12 oz spaghetti plus when your water comes back to the boil.
Heat at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 min until al dente.
Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves using the blade of a knife, to bruise it.
While your spaghetti is cooking, fry your pancetta with the garlic.
Drop 1 ¾ oz unsalted butter in a big frying pan or wok plus, as soon as your butter has melted, tip in your pancetta and garlic.
Leave to heat on a medium heat for around 5 minutes, until the pancetta is golden and crisp.
Stir often.
Your garlic has imparted its flavour, so take it out using a slotted spoon and discard.
Keep the heat under your pancetta on low.
Wait until the pasta is ready.
Lift it from your water with a pasta fork or tongs.
Put it in your frying pan with the pancetta.
Don’t worry if little water drops in the pan as fully plus don’t throw your pasta water away yet.
Mix most of your cheese in with the eggs, keeping a little handful back for sprinkling over later.
Take your pan of spaghetti plus pancetta off the heat.
Quickly pour in the eggs and cheese.
Lift up your spaghetti so it mixes easily using the egg mix, which thickens but doesn’t scramble, plus everything is coated using the tongs or a long fork.
Add extra pasta cooking water.
Keep it saucy.
You don’t want it wet, moist.
Season with a little salt, if needed.
Use a long-pronged fork to twist your pasta on to your serving plate or bowl.
Serve right away with a little sprinkling of the rest of the cheese and a grating of black pepper.
If your dish does get little dry before serving, splash in more hot pasta water plus the glossy sauciness will be revived.

On the side: Garlic bread

A side we added to round out the meal. It is not part of the original recipe.

How to make it (15 min)

Heat the oven to 400°F. Mash the soft butter with the minced garlic.
Split the bread, spread on the garlic butter and bake 8 to 10 minutes until golden. Slice.