We wanted a bulletproof version of this much-beloved, simple Roman pasta dish of noodles draped in a luscious, porky, cheesy sauce.
Get our Spaghetti Carbonara recipe:
Buy our winning chefs knife:
Buy our winning chefs knife in the ATK Shop:
Buy our winning non-stick skillet:
Buy our winning ceramic nonstick skillets in the ATK Shop:
Buy our winning whisk:
Buy our winning tongs:
Buy our winning Dutch oven:
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America’s Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
49 Comments
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Real Carbonara has green peas, diced ham, heavy cream and is topped with shredded cheddar & bacon bits.
I have a subscription to cooks country. There are so many versions of this on the website. I'm just looking for the amount of pancetta used here. What is this recipe titled online?
No need for oil!
Edit: no need for salt on top of the carbonara sauce!
One tip – get the crust of the Guanciale/ otherwise the pepper on there will burn and make the carbonara taste bitter
U don't use the egg white.
i always wondered what’s the difference between adding parmesan cheese vs pecorino for carbonara after watching many other videos about this dish (i don’t eat many cheese), you’re the first to point it out! thanks!!
add pasta to the sauce not the other way round
this is too fussy- its wayyyyy easier to make and less finicky than they are making it out to be~
This Is the original!👍❤
Certificata from 🇮🇹
Thank you ❤ more authentic recipe form all over the world please
Please do not Crack an egg on the side of a bowl!!!! Use a flat surface. Less chance of pieces of shell in your dish.
Sounds delish! Where’s the garlic?
ATK got this right..
Our local Italian market stocks guanciali, but I had never used it. I got some and used a parmesan-ricotta mixture I had in the fridge. Omitted extra salt. Delicious but sent me into a trance-like nap. 😀
How many servings per this recipe?
Just made this incredible dish using Pancetta and it turned out perfect! Your instructions were spot on and made me a hero with my family, lol!
Gino would NOT approve. In other words, this is an if my grandmother had wheels, she would have been a bike type alternation 🙂
She got it almost right. No olive oil. The guanciale fat is all that is needed.
Also, I have to say, you can tell by the way she cooks the pasta that she’s not Italian.
More meat is needed for that amount of pasta. But otherwise 👌
Another fake carbobara. You almost made a spaghetti omelette.
You need to cut the skinrind off of the guanciale. It becomes tough and chewy when it's cooked. Olive oil is not needed. Guanciale is cooked on low heat and it will render it's fat. It's the only lipid you need. If cooked properly the guanciale should be crisp, no almost crisp, on the outside and still tender on the inside. Don't drain the pasta. Use tongs or a pasta scoop and transfer it directly into the pan of guanciale. You WANT the pasta to be wet. You do not need to add pasta water to the eggcheese mixture if the past is taken directly from the water and mixed with the guanciale. The combining of the pastaguanciale with the eggcheese should be done off the heat or you'll end up with scrambled eggs. If the sauce is too thin, add some of the starchy pasta water to help it thicken. DO NOT make extra and think it will be okay as leftovers. It won't. Carbonara is meant to be served immediately. If you're cooking for two people, make two servings only.
That looks to die for!!
I am so sorry. This is NOT a carbonara.
Can someone tell me if the heat is off when she mixed everything together.
Had no idea that it included raw eggs. No more for me thank you.
Ottimo!!!!!……..
Thanks! Did you mean 2 1/2 CUPS of cheese (not ounces)?
Vincenzo has entered the chat.
Yolks only and no EVOO!
Nice try but in reality it was a dish invented at the end of World War II when American soldiers had bacon, which, by the way, is the original fat and not pancetta or Guanciale and eggs, which the Americans had. An interesting sidebar is that bacon is an acceptable ingredient and lends a smokiness to the dish, which is not unpleasant and which is used by many Italian/ Americans to this day.
Who would have thought the most expensive thing in this recipe would end up being the eggs?
Do not forget to taste the meat beforehand. If you use pancetta instead, it can be super salty and in that case you definitely should not add any salt (the cheese is obviously also salty).
I'm 1000% Italian. This is one dish that does not appeal to me at all.
This is one of my go-to quick cooks for dinner. Ready in less than 15 minutes. Also one of my most favorite pasta dishes. Pecorino really is a must for authentic flavor, but Parmigianino Reggiano is more readily available and work, too. I have also used bacon when guanciale or pancetta is not available.
No no no. You don't pour the guanciale on the pasta. Half of all the flavour gets lost. You put the pasta in the pan and the eggs and cheese in there too. Then you toss the pasta in the pan. Don't stir…
Americans have no clue…
What about budget options?
Tasty Delicious Wonderful And My Dear 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹
I need to keep looking for guanciale because I want to make legit carbonara.
Are the eggs cooked in there?
Well, they don't sell all the ingredients where I live, unfortunately. So, I have made it with substitutes, and it was still fabulous. Next time I drive to the big city I'll have to shop for them and try it out with the better ingredients. I love both Carbonara and Cacio e Pepe.
Where’s the cream😂😂
Salt is not needed here, pork is salty, so is cheese.
If you give the guanciale a bit more time, at lower temperature, you get so much fat that you don't need to add any
What's the best Pecorino Romano?
Looks delicious but I could feel my arteries constricting from all that pork fat. I know, I don't have to make it and I won't be making it but I can enjoy it vicariously through the video.
What pot are you using to cook the spaghetti in? I like that it's wide and short.
I’ve been a faithful fan for years ! Love your channel. I’m a wanna be chef😊
Pasta Carbonara is one of my favorite winter dishes. It's hearty, creamy, cheesy and delicious.