Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Name: Spaghetti alla Carbonara
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Italy
Ingredients: 1 lb spaghetti; 6 oz guanciale, diced; 4 large eggs; 1 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated; 1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked; Salt for pasta water

4 servings10 min prep20 min cookMedium Italy

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Story updated September 17, 2026

Spaghetti alla Carbonara is surprisingly modern, with no clear documentation before the mid-20th century. Its origin is genuinely disputed: theories range from Roman charcoal workers (carbonari) to Allied soldiers in postwar Rome combining their egg-and-bacon rations with local pasta, and no single account is definitively confirmed.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

1 lb spaghetti
6 oz guanciale, diced
4 large eggs
1 cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated
1 tsp black pepper, freshly cracked
Salt for pasta water

Instructions

1Cook spaghetti in salted boiling water until al dente, reserving 1 cup pasta water.
2Meanwhile, render guanciale in a skillet until crisp.
3Whisk eggs, Pecorino, and black pepper together in a bowl.
4Drain pasta and add to the skillet with guanciale, off heat.
5Quickly toss in the egg mixture, adding pasta water gradually until creamy and glossy.
6Serve immediately with extra Pecorino and black pepper.

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