Never use cream, cream is the cheat way of making Carbonara and not classic Italian Carbonara.
Carbonara is a dish you make, and eat right away.
I did use pancetta granted you can’t see it in the picture above, but it was in there 🙂
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 pound pancetta diced
- 4 whole eggs
- 2 cup grated parmesan or pecorino cheese (pecorino is the better option if you can get it)
- 1 pound spaghetti pasta (or bucatini or fettuccine)
- Rock Salt
Step 1: The Pasta
- Put a large pot of water on to boil and add a nice amount of rock salt
- Once the water has reached a rolling boil, add the pasta, and cook, uncovered.
Step 2 : The Pancetta
- While the water is coming to a boil, heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. You won’t need to use olive oil if you have a nice fatty Pancetta as it will cook in its fat.
- Add the pancetta and cook slowly which keeps it tender in the middle.
Step 3: The Sauce
- In a bowl add three whole eggs and then only the yolk of the 4th and mix with a fork
- Once your eggs are mixed add the cheese and add a nice amount of pepper and mix.
Step 4: Putting it all together
- Turn off your pan and leave it there as you want to keep the pan nice and hot
- When the pasta is al dente (still a little firm, not mushy), use tongs to move it to the bowl with the pancetta. Move the pasta from the pot to the bowl quickly, as you want the pasta to be hot. It’s the heat of the pasta that will heat the eggs sufficiently to create a creamy sauce.
- Add 1 full spoon of pasta water to your sauce mixture and mix it again
- Turn on the pan again but very low
- Add a little pasta water to the pan
- Toss everything to combine. Mix it fast so the eggs won’t scramble, the water will help to avoid it scrambling
- Keep mixing and when you see the watery sauce become a cream it is ready to serve (will take a few minutes)
- Enjoy and serve straight away
That’s it nothing more nothing extra, it’s perfect done the classic way 🙂