Bucatini alla Carbonara

Lifting pasta out of a dish of carbonara.

A traditional Italian pasta dish with a creamy egg sauce. Hot pasta and a warm bowl will gently cook the egg mixture and turn it into a velvety smooth sauce.

Make sure you cook the pasta last so it is hot when you mix it with the egg mixture.

4.92 from 12 votes

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

Total Time: 30

Servings: servings

Calories: 411kcal

Author: Pat Nyswonger

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
10 ounces guanciale bacon or pancetta, diced
3 large eggs
3 large egg yolks
1 cup freshly grated pecorino
5 teaspoons sea salt
1 pound dry bucatini
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200° F
Place a large ovenproof serving bowl or casserole dish into the oven to heat. You will use the warm dish to toss the pasta with the carbonara sauce.
Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the bacon or pancetta and cook until browned and crispy, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook just until it is soft and fragrant, do not let it brown. Remove from heat and set aside.
Whisk together the whole eggs and egg yolks in a medium bowl. Add the grated pecorino, pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Set aside.
Bring 5 quarts of water and the 5 teaspoons of salt to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions or until al dente. Transfer the pasta to a colander and drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
Transfer the cooked pasta to the heated serving bowl and add the reserved bacon or pancetta, lifting and tossing the bucatini with two forks. Then, working quickly, add the eggs and cheese, continuing to lift and toss to coat the strands thoroughly. If the dish seems too dry add a tablespoon or two of the reserved cooking water. Sprinkle with the 1/2 cup of grated cheese and serve immediately.

Notes

Traditional recipes use Guanciale which is cured pork cheek. Since Guanciale is a little more challenging to find, we included an option for pancetta or bacon.
Bucatini looks similar to spaghetti noodles, but it is hollow or tubular. If you can't find bucatini noodles, you can use spaghetti noodles or rigatoni.
If you want more sauce, add an extra egg or two egg yolks. The egg yolks will give the sauce a richer flavor.

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