cooking · pasta

Spaghetti Carbonara

Name: Spaghetti Carbonara
Total time: approximately 30-35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: guanciale, cleaned and cubed, cleaned, skin and surface pepper removed, cut into small cubes the size of a die; pork skin, removed from guanciale and discarded; black pepper, to taste; 1 egg yolk, one yolk per person; use 1.5 per person if eggs are small; 1 part Grana Padano, 1 part to 2 parts Pecorino to balance saltiness and add creaminess; 2 parts Pecorino cheese, 2 parts to 1 part Grana Padano; spaghetti, 1 serving per person; salt, to taste, very little, sparingly in boiling water; pasta water, reserved from cooking the spaghetti

From a video by Aden Films · Recipe by Luciano Monosilio · 23 min watch

Chef Luciano Monosilio prepares his signature Roman spaghetti carbonara using only guanciale fat, egg yolks, a 2:1 blend of Pecorino and Grana Padano cheeses, and a gentle bain-marie technique at 65°C to achieve a silky cream without cream.

pastamain dishItalianRoman

Source video — Aden Films on YouTube

From the creator

Aden Films

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Total time

~30 minutes

Hands-on

~20 minutes

Servings

~4 servings

Difficulty

Easy

Cook this recipe

Extraction confidence: high

Auto-generated from the video and rewritten in our own words. Double-check quantities against the source before cooking.

Ingredients

Servings

guanciale, cleaned and cubed
pork skin
black pepper, to taste
1 egg yolk
1 part Grana Padano
2 parts Pecorino cheese
spaghetti
salt, to taste
pasta water

Preparation

Step 1
Clean the guanciale by removing all surface black pepper and the skin from the back. Cut the cleaned guanciale into small cubes.
Step 2
Choose an iron pan for gas or a non-stick pan for induction. Heat the pan on high until warm, then lower the fire. Add the guanciale cubes and cook on very low heat in its own fat only (no oil or butter) until crispy outside and soft inside.
Step 3
While the guanciale cooks, prepare the egg sauce in a bain-marie pan. Use only yolks (one per person or 1.5 if small). Mix 2 parts Pecorino with 1 part Grana Padano, then combine with the yolks and black pepper.
Step 4
When the guanciale is ready, add half the rendered fat to the egg sauce. Remove the remaining fat completely, reserve the crispy guanciale pieces, and keep them hot. Add a splash of pasta water to the egg-cheese mixture and stir.
Step 5
Bring a large pot of water to a boil with very little salt. Add the spaghetti and cook for 12 minutes until fully soft (not al dente). Reserve pasta water before draining.
Step 6
Place the drained spaghetti into the bain-marie pan with the egg sauce. Cook gently at 65°C, stirring continuously and adding pasta water as needed, until the sauce becomes very creamy.
Step 7
Add the hot guanciale pieces to the creamy pasta. Finish with additional black pepper, grated Pecorino on top, and serve immediately on a warmed plate.

Notes

Use iron pan on gas or non-stick on induction to cook guanciale properly
Cook guanciale exclusively in its own rendered fat; never add olive oil or butter
Pasta must be cooked soft, not al dente, for this technique
Maintain exactly 65°C in bain-marie for a creamy egg sauce without scrambling
Balance salty/spicy Pecorino with creamy Grana Padano (2:1 ratio) for lighter flavor and better emulsion
Guanciale cubes should be crispy on the outside and soft inside when done
Reserve and use half the rendered guanciale fat in the egg sauce
Add guanciale to the pasta while it is still hot
No cream is used; the creamy texture comes from the gentle cooking of eggs and cheese