Authentic Pasta Carbonara 

The creamy homemade sauce is flavorful and has a nice texture because the eggs give richness to this sauce. I’ll give you some tricks and tips on how to make it smooth and not chunky.

I remember falling in love with pasta carbonara when I was a kid, and my mission ever since has been to make the homemade Spaghetti carbonara recipe. I was unaware that for this meal, I only needed a few ingredients. Pecorino Romano cheese or Parmesan cheese (I highly suggest using Pecorino Romano, because it is not Carbonara if it’s not Pecorino, but if you can’t get it, use Parmesan), savory pancetta and garlic. Minced garlic and crispy bacon are the base of this sauce.

The trick, not to mess up the cheese sauce is the eggs should not be scrambled. And to do this, you’ll need to keep the temperature of the stove lower, and constantly stir and watch out so the stove is not too hot. You should know that the eggs curdle somewhere between 144 – 157 degrees Fahrenheit.

Also, add a bit of hot water from the cooked pasta gradually and stir. This will help improve the elasticity of the eggs and will make it harder to cloth together.

A hot water bath is perfect to finish the sauce, instead of heating it directly on the stove.

Pasta Carbonara Recipe

• 32 ounces of water
• 1 Tablespoon of salt
• 1 Tablespoon of olive oil
• 8 ounces of spaghetti pasta
• 6-8 slices of bacon (guanciale bacon)
• 5 minced garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup of peas (optional)
• 2 whole eggs
• 1 cup of Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
• 2 teaspoons of parsley, minced

Instructions

1. Prep the Pot: Fill a large pot with 32 ounces of water and add 1 tablespoon of salt. The salt helps prevent the pasta from sticking.

2. Boil the Pasta: Once the water boils, add your pasta. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Reserve some of the hot pasta water after cooking.

3. Cook the Bacon: In a large pan, heat some olive oil over medium heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until crispy.

4. Add Garlic and Peas: Toss in the chopped garlic, and sauté for 60 seconds until fragrant, then add peas and stir for another 30-40 seconds. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.

5. Combine Pasta and Bacon: When the pasta is done, reheat the bacon pan over medium heat and add the cooked pasta. Stir the mixture for 2-3 minutes, then turn off the heat.

6. Prepare Cheese-Egg Mixture: In a large metal bowl, whisk together Parmesan cheese and eggs.

7. Mix Pasta with Cheese and Eggs: Combine the pasta-bacon mixture with the cheese-egg mixture in the bowl, stirring until the noodles are well coated.

8. Add Pasta Water: Slowly pour in a quarter cup of the reserved hot pasta water, mixing thoroughly.

9. Double Boiler Technique: Place the bowl over the pot of boiling pasta water (make sure the bowl doesn’t touch the water; remove some water if necessary). Stir continuously for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is creamy and thick.

10. Season: Add salt and pepper to taste.

11. Serve: Enjoy your creamy, delicious pasta carbonara right away!

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