Spaghetti Carbonara Do's and Don'ts - always from scratch (2024)

Published: Feb 13, 2023 · Modified: Apr 1, 2024 by Vinny and Marisa · This post may contain affiliate links · 1 Comment

Spaghetti Carbonara is a classic Roman-Italian Dish with a creamy silky smooth sauce and people go NUTS if you alter the recipe. Enjoy a list of spaghetti carbonara do's and don'ts to help you make the most authentic version.

Looking for more classic pasta dishes? Try our Bucatini Amatriciana or Pasta alla Norma!

My Trials and Tribulations

I'm not sure if you've heard of the spaghetti carbonara police. But I think they operate internationally and will immediately inform you of any mistakes you make in creating a spaghetti carbonara plate. So, I want to frame this recipe into a spaghetti carbonara do's and don'ts so you can feel good about your dish.

It is a dish that everyone screws up the first time. It's not an easy recipe and takes some time to learn the technique. So, I thought I'd share my experience with carbonara. The very first time I made this dish I started with bacon. Don't ask me why, but I've come a long way since then.

What I share in this blog will be the spaghetti carbonara do's and don'ts so maybe you can skip some of the heartaches with this dish. But what I will tell you is that every mistake I've made with spaghetti has tasted pretty damn good. Test away, you won't regret it.

Ingredient Notes

Here are the ingredients that I use. These may vary slightly but the one thing most people don't put in spaghetti carbonara is garlic. People scream its not traditional, yada yada yada. I don't care. Do what you feel like that day.

• 1lbspaghetti
• 1cuppecorino romano
• 2eggs
• 2egg yolks
• 6 oz guanciale or 8 oz pancetta, chopped
• ¼cuppasta water
• salt

Guanciale or Pancetta. Guanciale is what is traditionally used. It is Pork jowl and has a very rich flavor but pancetta, pork belly, is a great substitute because guanciale isn't readily available everywhere.

Step-by-Step Directions.

It's really not that hard. It just takes some practice to get it down. It's not that a mistake will ruin the dish, it's just that a small error can mess with the consistency. So follow the Do's and Don'ts! This image below is carbonara with pancetta instead of guanciale!

Pots and pans heating at the same time

Step 1: Heat the boiling water in a pot and the pan at the same time. Bring the saucepan to medium-low heat. You want to start boiling the pasta and frying the pancetta or guanciale at the same time. Once the water is boiling add salt and then add the spaghetti.

Step 2: Add the pancetta or guanciale to the pan while the pan is cold and fry until the fat is translucent and the rest of it develops a golden-brown crust. It should take about 8 minutes, so it will be finishing up right about the same time that the pasta is al dente.

Step 3: Strain the pasta saving ½ a cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the pan while it is still on the burner. Stir really well to combine everything to keep the pasta hot. Take off the heat and let sit for 1 minute.

Preparing the Parmesan and Egg Mixture

Step 4: Combine the eggs and pecorino and scramble together while the pancetta is frying. I always use 1 egg yolk for every egg I add. This makes the carbonara perfectly creamy. The argument against using egg whites is that they cook quicker than egg yolks. I prefer it, but you have to maintain control over the heat of the pan.

Combining Eggs and Pasta

Step 5: Once the pan has been sitting off the heat, stir the egg mixture into the pasta. Stir vigorously to combine really well. If the pan is too hot the eggs will start to pill, meaning you'll see these little crumbly bits. If you do it right the eggs will become thick sort of like over-easy eggs and the cheese will melt developing a creamy decadent carbonara.

Add a little pasta water to thin out the sauce as necessary. I usually add about ¼-1/2 a cup to the mixture, stir it really well, and add fresh black pepper. Then plate immediately.

It's important to remove the pasta from the pan immediately to avoid cooking the egg. You don't want to eat scrambled eggs and pasta.

Below, I spelled out my Spaghetti Carbonara Do's and Don'ts. Hopefully, that will help you with any questions you may have.

Carbonara with Guanciale vs. Pancetta

Carbonara with guanciale. Guanciale is much more tender and the flavor is slightly sweeter than pancetta. The guanciale is definitely preferred for this dish but pancetta is a great alternative.

Carbonara with pancetta. Pancetta still gives us a great fatty oil to saute the spaghetti in but the texture is slightly chewier and more savory than the guanciale. I still LOVE pancetta, and make carbonara with it often because I can just go and grab it at the supermarket. I usually have to order guanciale on Amazon.

Spaghetti Carbonara Do's

1. Start cooking the pancetta or guanciale as soon as you start boiling the pasta. It's important that everything finishes right about the same time so that the pasta is hot once it is put in the pan. If the pasta cools down too much, the whole recipe will be ruined because the egg mixture won't adhere to the pasta.
2. Use a nonstick pan if you're a beginner. The nonstick won't hold heat as long as the cast iron or stainless steel pan. That will make it easier to drop the heat enough to add the egg mixture in without cooking the eggs.
3. Grate your pecorino romano using the smallest part of the grater. The thicker the cheese is the more likely it is to clump up.
4. Use 1 egg yolk for every egg you use. It will make the sauce creamier.
5. Take the pan off the heat when you stir in the egg and pecorino cheese mixture.
6. Use garlic, to hell with the haters!

Spaghetti Carbonara Don'ts

1. Don't use fake parmesan or pecorino romano cheese. Buy one that you have to grate yourself and let it get to room temperature before putting it in the pasta.
2. Don't rinse your pasta. Don't let your pasta cool. Don't break your spaghetti. And Don't forget to salt the water!
3. Don't use a stainless steel pan if it's you're first time.
4. Don't add cream or milk or butter.
5. Don't substitute bacon for pancetta.
6. Don't let the egg mixture ever sit still while it is in the pot with the pasta. Keep it moving until you transfer it to a plate.

Carbonara Pilling vs Silky

The egg and cheese mixture pilling instead of creating a smooth sauce. This is exactly what we want to avoid when making carbonara. The egg cheese mixture becomes a scrambled egg texture instead of the smooth, creamy, and silky texture shown in the images below.

This sauce has the smooth silky texture we look for when we combine the egg and cheese mixture with the pasta.

FAQs

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