Spaghetti Carbonara — No Cream, No Scrambled Egg, in 20 Minutes
Fry the bacon until crisp. Mix egg yolks with grated pecorino and plenty of pepper. Drain the spaghetti, take the pan off the heat, add the spaghetti to the bacon, then the egg mixture and 1 dl pasta water and toss fast — the residual heat makes the sauce creamy. On the heat it becomes scrambled egg; with cream it is not carbonara.
Carbonara has four ingredients and one single moment that decides everything: when the egg meets the hot spaghetti. Too hot, and it scrambles. Too cold, and it stays raw. The trick is the pan off the heat and a splash of pasta water — then the sauce turns silky without a drop of cream. The whole thing takes as long as the spaghetti.
Ingredients
- 400 g Spaghetti
- 150 g Diced bacon (or guanciale)
- 4 pieces Egg yolks
- 1 piece Egg
- 80 g Pecorino (finely grated)
- 1 tsp Black pepper (coarsely ground)
- 1 tbsp Salt (for the pasta water)
Method
- 1
Cook the spaghetti
Bring plenty of water to the boil with the salt, cook the spaghetti al dente as per the pack. Before draining, scoop out 2 dl pasta water — it is half the sauce.
- 2
Fry the bacon
Fry the bacon in a large dry pan over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until crisp and the fat has rendered. Take the pan off the heat.
- 3
Egg mixture
Mix the yolks, egg, pecorino and pepper in a bowl with a fork. It makes a thick paste — that is right.
- 4
Combine
Add the drained spaghetti to the bacon in the pan and toss. Stir 1 dl hot pasta water into the egg mixture, then pour over the spaghetti and toss vigorously for 30 seconds until the sauce coats everything creamily. The pan stays off the heat.
- 5
Serve
Too thick? A little more pasta water. Straight onto warmed plates, sprinkle with pecorino and pepper. Carbonara waits for no one.
Tips
- The original uses guanciale (pork cheek) and pecorino Romano. Both are at Coop and Italian delis. Diced bacon and Parmesan are the everyday version — milder, but good.
- No garlic, no onions, no peas, no cream. What you make with those is good too — it just has a different name.
- Warm plates are no restaurant vanity with carbonara: on cold plates the sauce sets within a minute.
What can I substitute?
Milder and less salty than pecorino. Sbrinz is the Swiss option and suits it surprisingly well.
The vegetarian version. A little more salt in the egg mixture, since the bacon is missing. 1 tsp smoked paprika brings back the smokiness.
In Rome it also comes with rigatoni. Short pasta is easier for children to eat.
Nutrition per serving
Estimated from the ingredients.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my carbonara turn into scrambled egg?
Because the pan was still on the heat or too hot. Egg yolk sets from 65 °C. Pan off the hob, wait 30 seconds, stir pasta water into the egg mixture — that brings the temperature exactly into the range where the egg thickens creamily instead of curdling.
Does cream belong in carbonara?
No. The creaminess comes from egg yolk, cheese and starchy pasta water. Cream makes it heavy and masks the pecorino. If you need cream, you used too little pasta water.
Is carbonara risky because of the raw egg?
The egg is not raw — the hot spaghetti and pasta water heat it to around 70 °C, which kills salmonella. For pregnant women and small children, pasteurised eggs are available at Migros and Coop.
Can I reheat carbonara?
Badly. The egg sauce turns firm and grainy when reheated. Better to cook the right amount — the recipe halves easily. If you must: toss with a splash of water over the lowest heat.
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