Carbonara Recipe • 5★ • 30 min

Updated April 6, 2026

Linda Xiao for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Sarah Jampel.

1:35Credit...Alexandra Eaton and Alexandra Eaton

This dish is a deli bacon-egg-and-cheese-on-a-roll that has been pasta-fied, fancified, fetishized and turned into an Italian tradition that, like many inviolate Italian traditions, is actually far less old than the Mayflower. Because America may have contributed to its creation, carbonara is Exhibit A in the back-and-forth between Italy and the United States when it comes to food. Remember: the main goal is creaminess.

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2 large eggs and 2 large yolks, room temperature

1 ounce (about ⅓ packed cup) grated pecorino Romano, plus additional for serving

1 ounce (about ⅓ packed cup) grated Parmesan

Coarsely ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 ½ ounces of slab guanciale (see recipe), pancetta or bacon, sliced into pieces about ¼ inch thick by 1⅓ inch square

12 ounces spaghetti (about ¾ box)

Step 1Place a large pot of lightly salted water (no more than 1 tablespoon salt) over high heat, and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with hot water (to warm the bowl for serving), and set aside.

Place a large pot of lightly salted water (no more than 1 tablespoon salt) over high heat, and bring to a boil. Fill a large bowl with hot water (to warm the bowl for serving), and set aside.

Step 2In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and pecorino and Parmesan. Season with a pinch of salt and generous black pepper.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks and pecorino and Parmesan. Season with a pinch of salt and generous black pepper.

Step 3Set the water to boil. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the pork, and sauté until the fat just renders, on the edge of crispness but not hard. Remove from heat and set aside.

Set the water to boil. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat, add the pork, and sauté until the fat just renders, on the edge of crispness but not hard. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 4Add pasta to the water and boil until a bit firmer than al dente. Just before pasta is ready, reheat guanciale in skillet, if needed. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and add to the skillet over low heat. Stir for a minute or so.

Add pasta to the water and boil until a bit firmer than al dente. Just before pasta is ready, reheat guanciale in skillet, if needed. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain pasta and add to the skillet over low heat. Stir for a minute or so.

Step 5Empty serving bowl of hot water. Dry it and add hot pasta mixture. Stir in cheese mixture, adding some reserved pasta water if needed for creaminess. Serve immediately, dressing it with a bit of additional grated pecorino and pepper.

Empty serving bowl of hot water. Dry it and add hot pasta mixture. Stir in cheese mixture, adding some reserved pasta water if needed for creaminess. Serve immediately, dressing it with a bit of additional grated pecorino and pepper.

Why does the temperature matter so much for spaghetti carbonara?If cold eggs are added to hot pasta, they can overheat and scramble, breaking into small pieces, rather than emulsifying and creating a creamy sauce. It is important to use room temperature eggs and to remove the pasta from the heat before stirring with the sauce in order for the sauce to turn creamy rather than curdled. (Some recipes use a splash of heavy cream as well, which helps ensure a silky sauce.)

Why does the temperature matter so much for spaghetti carbonara?

If cold eggs are added to hot pasta, they can overheat and scramble, breaking into small pieces, rather than emulsifying and creating a creamy sauce. It is important to use room temperature eggs and to remove the pasta from the heat before stirring with the sauce in order for the sauce to turn creamy rather than curdled. (Some recipes use a splash of heavy cream as well, which helps ensure a silky sauce.)

How can I reheat carbonara?This is a dish that is best enjoyed as soon as it is made, when its sauce is at its satiny best. After the sauce sits, it can thicken and clump. If you’d like to reheat it, you can moisten it with a little bit of water or heavy cream before reheating.

How can I reheat carbonara?

This is a dish that is best enjoyed as soon as it is made, when its sauce is at its satiny best. After the sauce sits, it can thicken and clump. If you’d like to reheat it, you can moisten it with a little bit of water or heavy cream before reheating.

Never combine the ingredients in the pan you have had on the burner. The eggs will cook and harden. Place a stainless steel mixing bowl under your colander and let the pasta water heat the bowl. Discard the water and use the heated bowl to combine all ingredients. Toss for at least two minutes.

At Step 2, a clove or two of minced or pressed garlic should be added to the egg and cheese mixture. I've never seen a carbonara recipe that did not include garlic.At Step 3, you can replace the olive oil with 1/4 C. water. Sounds crazy, but the bacon will remain tender and flavorful. After it has cooled slightly, whisk one or two tablespoons of rendered bacon fat, in a slow stream, into the egg/cheese/garlic mixture. Much creamier and flavorful.

This recipe is spot on. My wife thinks I'm a pro when I cook it :) I do have 1 tip though. Don't be afraid to add the starchy water at the end. Doing so makes it more smoothy and creamy. It might seem a little too wet at first but it will cool down and be just right. The first 2 times I made this dish I only added a 1/4 cup of water because it looked wet enough. However once the dish cooled it got a bit sticky and dry. I regretted not adding more water and learned my lesson.

Sort of plain, felt like it needed double the amount of Pancetta, as that's where all the flavor came from. The pasta definitely seems under salted, which is asked for in the directions, and makes little sense to me. Pretty disappointing.

I liked this, especially for the technique of incorporating eggs and cheese into the hot pasta mixture in a warmed bowl and observing it thicken into a lovely sauce. I was able to find authentic guanciale at my local grocery, and it added a unique flavor that was rustic and delicious. I served it with asparagus and an arugula salad.

1/8 of pasta water at a time, overdo it and it loses all flavor!! This was fantastic when I did it smart the first time with a spoon at a time, it’s easy to over do the pasta water

Source: https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/12965-spaghetti-carbonara