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    Home » Pasta

    How To Make An Authentic Carbonara Like A Roman

    4.6 from 5 votes

    By Pina Bresciani ⁠— May 30, 2021 (updated May 23, 2025) — 11 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video

    An authentic carbonara is made with egg yolks, pecorino romano, guanciale, black pepper and pasta. This recipe is the traditional one you’ll find in any Roman restaurant.

    Bacon and eggs are a classic North American flavor combination, but the Italians take it one step further by making it into a pasta. Instead of bacon, they use guanciale which is pork cheek or jowl. Guanciale is a vey common ingredient in the other roman pasta dishes as well.

    authentic carbonara pasta with guanciale in a bowl with a small plate of cheese to the side

    The carbonara is one of the main four pasta dishes from Rome (see another roman pasta recipe, an authentic cacio e pepe recipe here). The recipe you'll find in this post is a traditional recipe for the dish, so it doesn't contain any cream, which many recipes do. Between the starch from the pasta water, and the egg yolks, the cream isn't necessary at all!

    This post is your step-by-step guide on how to make carbonara just like you would find in any restaurant in the eternal city.

    🐖 Origins

    The true origin of carbonara is disputed, and there's a few theories on how it originated.

    Theory #1

    The first theory and probably the most popular one is that during World War 2, American soldiers in Rome wanted something that reminded them of home, like bacon and eggs, so Italian chefs made them this pasta with guanciale (the bacon) and eggs, and of course added pecorino romano and black pepper.

    Some also say that when Rome was liberated during World War 2, there wasn't a lot of food around, so American soldiers had packs of food with them from home, that included powdered eggs and bacon. So it is said that Italians made pasta out of these ingredients, that the soldiers had with them.

    Theory #2

    Another theory is that Umbrian coal workers called carbonari used to eat an early version of carabonara called "cacio e ova" which is a pasta with cheese and eggs (no guanciale). When they came to Rome for work, they introduced it to the Romans, and the dish evolved with the addition of the guanciale, and was adopted as a Roman one.

    Which theory is correct? We'll probably never know!

    bowl of authentic carbonara pasta with two red wine glasses in the background

    🥦 What an authentic carbonara does not contain

    There are many versions of carbonara out there where additional ingredients are added, but the original version that you would find in Rome only contains pasta, eggs, pecorino romano, black pepper and guanciale. The real recipe only contains 5 ingredients!

    It does not contain:

    • Garlic
    • Onion
    • Cream
    • Peas
    • Olive oil
    • Parsley
    • Vegetables of any kind

    🔪 How to make it - step by step

    Bring a pot of water to boil. When it's boiling, add salt. Throw the pasta in and cook until it's just before al dente – this is important because the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.

    When the water is about to boil, add the guanciale to a cold pan (photo 1) Turn the heat up to medium and let the guanciale cook until it's crispy and the fat has rendered, about 10-15 minutes.

    Remove the guanciale from the pan, and leave the fat in (photo 2) If pasta isn't ready by this time, remove the pan from the heat until pasta is done cooking.

    Step by step photos on how to make an authentic carbonara (#1-6)

    While guanciale is cooking, make the carbonara cream – in a small bowl, beat together egg yolks, pecorino romano, 2 spoons of guanciale fat, a little bit of pasta water and ground black pepper (photo 3)

    Add the pasta to the pan, and add about half of a ladle of pasta water to the pan as well (still over medium heat). Be careful when adding the pasta to the pan because the guanciale fat will splatter (photo 4)

    Let the pasta cook in the pan for a few minutes, until it's al dente. Add more pasta water if needed. You want there to be a bit of starchy liquid left at the bottom of the pan, and not have it be completely dry (photo 5)

    Remove the pan from the heat. Add the carbonara egg cream (photo 6) and mix.

    Add the guanciale and mix again (photos 7 & 8)

    Plate and top with additional ground black pepper and pecorino romano. Enjoy!

    bowl of half eaten carbonara with guanciale strips

    👩🏻‍🍳 Top tips

    • When cutting the guanciale into strips, one side will have a thin layer of skin on it. Cut off this layer of skin - it's not meant to be eaten.
    • When initially cut, 1.5 cups of guanciale may seem like a lot, but it reduces in size a fair bit when cooked in the pan.
    • Pecorino romano is the traditional cheese to use in a classic carbonara - it's from Rome and of course so is carbonara. You can use parmesan (from Parma, not Rome), but it would change the flavor of the dish. Pecorino has a sharper flavor than parmesan, and it's made with sheep's milk, as opposed to parmesan, which is made with cow's milk. 
    • Ensure to let the pasta cook in the pan for a few minutes. The pasta will release starch into the pan and make an even creamier sauce this way.
    • When pasta is done cooking in the pan, make sure that there is a bit of liquid left in the pan - this will help for a nice creamy consistency.
    • When you're making the carbonara cream, it should be the consistency of pudding once you've mixed together the egg yolks, pecorino, guanciale fat, pasta water, and pepper.
    • I used mezze maniche in this recipe, which is a short version of rigatoni, but you can also use rigatoni in this recipe, or spaghetti. Spaghetti is the most traditional shape to use in a carbonara, although the shorter shapes are very commonly used as well.
    • I prefer to remove the guanciale from the pan when the pasta is cooking, and add it back in later because I like to keep the guanciale crispy. But if you prefer, you can keep the guanciale in the pan while the pasta is cooking.
    • In Italy, to get the carbonara to be a beautiful golden yellow color, eggs with very yellow yolks are used called "pasta gialla." I used eggs that were labeled "golden yolk" to get the most golden yellow color possible.
    • Guanciale (cured meat coming from the cheek of the pig) is traditional to use in this dish, and gives the dish a very specific flavor, but if you can't find any, you can use pancetta (cured meat coming from the stomach of the pig). Pancetta is not as fatty as guanciale, so you will have to add some olive oil to help the pancetta cook.
    • I used a microplane to grate the pecorino. I suggest weighing the pecorino instead of using the cups measurement if you can, because everyone grates cheese differently which can affect how it is measure in cups - weighing it is always more precise.
    authentic carbonara in a white bowl with a fork

    🍝 More traditional pasta recipes

    • Authentic cacio e pepe recipe
    • Clam pasta (spaghetti alle vongole)
    • Penne Arrabbiata – Spicy Tomato Pasta

    If you’ve tried making this Authentic Carbonara Recipe, or any other recipe on the blog, please let me know what you thought of it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’ve been up to.

    Recipe

    authentic carbonara pasta in a while bowl
    Print Pin
    4.60 from 5 votes

    Authentic Carbonara Recipe

    An authentic carbonara is made with egg yolks, pecorino romano, guanciale, black pepper and pasta. This recipe is the traditional one you’ll find in any Roman restaurant.
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Italian
    Prep Time 10 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 25 minutes minutes
    Servings 2 people
    Calories 2011kcal
    Author Pina Bresciani

    Ingredients

    • 250 grams mezze maniche pasta
    • 1 ½ cups guanciale - cut into 1 cm wide strips
    • ¾ cups (30g) pecorino romano grated
    • 4 egg yolks
    • salt and pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Bring a pot of water to boil. When it's boiling, add salt. Throw the pasta in and cook until it's just before al dente – this is important because the pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.
    • When the water is about to boil, add the guanciale to a cold pan. Turn the heat up to medium and let the guanciale cook until it's crispy and the fat has rendered, about 10-15 minutes. Remove the guanciale from the pan, and leave the fat in. If pasta isn't ready by this time, remove the pan from the heat until pasta is done cooking.
    • While guanciale is cooking, make the carbonara cream - in a small bowl, beat together egg yolks, pecorino romano, 2 spoons of guanciale fat, a little bit of pasta water and fresh ground black pepper. The consistency should be similar to pudding.
    • Add the pasta to the pan, and add about half of a ladle of pasta water to the pan as well (still over medium heat). Be careful when adding the pasta to the pan because the guanciale fat will splatter.
    • Let the pasta cook in the pan for a few minutes, until it's al dente. Add more pasta water if needed. You want there to be a bit of starchy liquid left at the bottom of the pan, and not have it be completely dry.
    • Remove the pan from the heat. Add the carbonara egg cream and mix. Add the guanciale and mix again.
    • Plate and top with additional ground black pepper and pecorino romano. Enjoy!

    Recipe Video

    Recipe Notes

    • When cutting the guanciale into strips, one side will have a thin layer of skin on it. Cut off this layer of skin - it's not meant to be eaten.
    • When initially cut, 1.5 cups of guanciale may seem like a lot, but it reduces in size a fair bit when cooked in the pan.
    • Pecorino romano is the traditional cheese to use in a classic carbonara - it's from Rome and of course so is carbonara. You can use parmesan (from Parma, not Rome), but it would change the flavor of the dish. Pecorino has a sharper flavor than parmesan, and it's made with sheep's milk, as opposed to parmesan, which is made with cow's milk. 
    • Ensure to let the pasta cook in the pan for a few minutes. The pasta will release starch into the pan and make an even creamier sauce this way.
    • When pasta is done cooking in the pan, make sure that there is a bit of liquid left in the pan - this will help for a nice creamy consistency.
    • When you're making the carbonara cream, it should be the consistency of pudding once you've mixed together the egg yolks, pecorino, guanciale fat, pasta water, and pepper.
    • I used mezze maniche in this recipe, which is a short version of rigatoni, but you can also use rigatoni in this recipe, or spaghetti. Spaghetti is the most traditional shape to use in a carbonara, although the shorter shapes are very commonly used as well.
    • I prefer to remove the guanciale from the pan when the pasta is cooking, and add it back in later because I like to keep the guanciale crispy. But if you prefer, you can keep the guanciale in the pan while the pasta is cooking.
    • In Italy, to get the carbonara to be a beautiful golden yellow color, eggs with very yellow yolks are used called "pasta gialla." I used eggs that were labeled "golden yolk" to get the most golden yellow color possible.
    • Guanciale is traditional to use in this dish, and gives the dish a very specific flavor, but if you can't find any, you can use pancetta. Pancetta is not as fatty as guanciale, so you will have to add some olive oil to help the pancetta cook.
    • I used a microplane to grate the pecorino. I suggest weighing the pecorino instead of using the cups measurement if you can, because everyone grates cheese differently which can affect how it is measure in cups - weighing it is always more precise.
    Nutrition Facts
    Authentic Carbonara Recipe
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 2011 Calories from Fat 1413
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 157g242%
    Saturated Fat 62g388%
    Cholesterol 622mg207%
    Sodium 2018mg88%
    Potassium 350mg10%
    Carbohydrates 96g32%
    Fiber 4g17%
    Sugar 4g4%
    Protein 53g106%
    Vitamin A 675IU14%
    Calcium 472mg47%
    Iron 3mg17%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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    Comments

      4.60 from 5 votes (1 rating without comment)

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Michelle Nilsen says

      June 20, 2021 at 7:57 pm

      3 stars
      Can you cook the pork cheek ahead of time?

      Reply
    2. A.F.P. says

      August 20, 2021 at 3:05 pm

      I made this last night, and OMG, it was so so so good. I made the "dirty pasta" last week as well. These recipes are all so simple and quite quick and just so good.
      I actually used some truffle pasta I got from our local Italian supermarket. I thought it would add a nice touch to the dish, however, I think it overpowered it a bit. But still so good. I purchased a large piece of guanciale, so I am going through the list of recipes on here that include that. So far....so good!

      Reply
    3. Rob says

      September 05, 2022 at 9:44 pm

      I cannot find the AMOUNTS of the ingredients in the recipe….am I overlooking something? How many eggs? additional yolks? How much salt (to taste?) pasta, water?

      Reply
      • Pina says

        September 05, 2022 at 10:24 pm

        Hi Rob, the recipe card is at the very bottom of the post with the amounts.
        You can also click the “jump to recipe” button at the top and it will take you straight there. Hope that helps.

        -Pina

        Reply
    4. Lisa Rogers says

      February 01, 2023 at 8:41 pm

      5 stars
      Great recipe. I lived in Italy for 2 years and since leaving I miss my 2 favorite pasta dishes... The carbonara and cacio e pepe. I made the carbonara tonight and it was as good as some of our favorite restaurants and in some cases better than what I got in Rome. Next will be the cacio! Thank you!

      Reply
      • Pina says

        February 08, 2023 at 4:22 am

        Thank you so much Lisa! I'm glad you enjoyed it.
        Buon Appetito! Pina

        Reply
    5. Carolyn Bove says

      November 29, 2023 at 12:28 am

      5 stars
      I made the carbonara tonight, and it was delicious! I’ve made the cacio e Pepe several times, also delicious! Up next, the last 2 Roman sauces. I Thank you, as does my husband.

      Reply
      • Pina says

        November 29, 2023 at 1:31 am

        Hi Carolyn thank you! I'm so glad you liked it.

        Reply
    6. Maureen says

      May 03, 2024 at 11:30 pm

      5 stars
      I made this for family dinner (I always make 2 pastas and a meat with salad) and it easy to make! How does such simple ingredients taste so amazing and rich?? Everyone loved it. Definitely a keeper. I love the videos of your Sunday family dinners. Our family dinners are on Thursdays and they are a beautiful tradition Mom started and I've continued for many, many years. Family Is Everything.

      Reply
    7. Jordyn says

      March 01, 2025 at 12:12 pm

      I live in a small town and cannot find guanciale anywhere! Any tips on where I might be able to find some? I really do not want to use bacon as I know it won't be nearly the same. If worst comes to worst and I can't find guanciale, is bacon ok to use as long as you understand it won't be the exact same?

      Thanks!

      Reply
      • Pina Bresciani says

        March 03, 2025 at 7:21 pm

        Hi Jordyn! I know, guanciale can be hard to find in certain places 🙁 I'm sorry. If you can, see if your town sells pancetta. It won't be the exact same as guanciale, but will be more similar. If you do find pancetta, I find it doesnt release as much fat as gunaciale, so you'll have to add some olive oil to the pan before cooking it (as opposed to the guanciale where you don't add any cooking oil at all). And if you can't find pancetta, you can use bacon! I think it's better to have carbonara in some form, even if the ingredients aren't exact, than to not have it at all. As long as you're following the rest of the recipe, not adding cream, etc bacon will still give you that carbonara feel 🙂 t will be delicious!
        Hope that helps, and let me know if you have any other questions.

        Thanks,

        Pina

        Reply

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    My name is Pina and I love Italian food and culture! Here you'll find delicious Italian-inspired recipes with a fresh west coast spin. Buon Appetito! About Me

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