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Spaghetti Carbonara

Introduction & method

Spaghetti Carbonara must be one of the easiest and quickest Italian pasta dishes to make. With only a handful of ingredients, you can have a delicious and filling dish on the table in only 15 minutes! 

 Spaghetti Carbonara Recipe

Cook the spaghetti


Bring a large pan of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cover and cook for the manufacturers recommended time, usually 9-10 minutes. Fresh pasta only takes 4-5 minutes.

Start the sauce


If using guanciale (cured pork jowl) or pancetta, you want to get it in one big chunk and cut it into small cubes, about 1 cm (just under half an inch). Lardons are already about the right size. Heat olive oil in a big frying pan and fry the meat. It should be a bit crispy on the edges and this will take about 5 minutes. Remove from the pan with a perforated spoon and set aside.

Whisk together the eggs with a little salt and ground black pepper. Grate the cheese.

Finish the carbonara


Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the meat - you should still have the oil that the meat was cooked in. Stir to get it all coated, then add the egg. Stir this to cover the pasta – you do not want the eggs to scramble. Add about 80% of the cheese. Stir until the cheese is melted and serve in a big bowl. Garnish with the remaining cheese and some cracked black pepper.


 


The video above is from the Keef Cooks YouTube channel. Click here to see the video recipe of Spaghetti Carbonara on YouTube.

 
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Ingredients & Info


PASTA
 200 grams spaghetti
  SAUCE
 2 eggs
 100 grams cheese: pecorino, parmesan or grana padano
 100 grams cured pork: guanciale, pancetta or bacon lardons
 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

PLUS

Water to boil pasta. Salt and pepper to season.


UNITS:
Metric
US Customary/Imperial

Serves 2 people
Prep time: 5 minutes.
Cooking time: 10 minutes.
Total time: 15 minutes.