Recipe for pasta carbonara (original)
If there’s one thing the Italians excel at, it’s simplicity. There aren’t too many frills in Italian cuisine, and they would be horrified to see what we put on our pizzas here in Denmark.
One of the most famous Italian pasta dishes is pasta carbonara. If there’s one thing we Danes rarely skip in a good pasta carbonara, it’s the bacon. Even though many of us actually believe that Italians use pancetta. I myself held that belief for a long time until I learned that they actually use guanciale. Guanciale is cut from the jowls and is not smoked, and it’s a bit fattier than pancetta.
This is the closest you can get to an original pasta carbonara! Since the eggs don’t reach a particularly high temperature, it’s a good idea to use pasteurized eggs if you prefer.
In this video, you can learn a bit more about this Italian classic:
Pasta carbonara (original) recipe
Pasta carbonara (original)
Equipment
- Large pot
- Sauté Pan
- Bowl
- Grater
- Hob
Ingredients
- 0.5 dl Olive Oil
- 100 gram Guanciale can be replaced with pancetta/bacon
- 250 gram Pasta I used Bucatini (they are thick and hollow)
- 2 pcs. Egg
- 2 pcs. Egg Yolk
- Pepper freshly ground
- 100 gram Parmesan freshly grated. You can easily use up to 200 grams if you love the cheese.
Instructions
- Cut the guanciale into cubes.
- Fry them until crispy in olive oil in a sauté pan.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Add a little less salt than usual, as the guanciale is very salty.
- Turn off the heat for the pan with the guanciale after about 5 minutes and let it sit. You can place a piece of kitchen paper on the pan to absorb some of the fat if necessary.
- Crack the eggs and yolks into a bowl and whisk them well. Season with pepper. Add half of the cheese and whisk again.
- When the pasta is done cooking, transfer it to the sauté pan. It's okay if a bit of pasta water comes along.
- Add the egg mixture and stir well into the mixture.
- Add more parmesan and freshly ground pepper, and the dish is ready to serve.
- Serve immediately.