Spaghetti alla Carbonara: the Traditional Italian Recipe

Awesome! I don't know how readily available guanciale is in the States, but if you can't find it, use pancetta. Just don't use regular N. American bacon. The curing process is different and changes the flavor of the pasta considerably. I used gluten free bucatini. Grazie Ivan!!

I used pancetta and other than whisking a few tablespoons pasta water into the eggs before adding to temper them a bit didn't change a thing. Next time will make it with parmiagiano reggiano cheese for a nuttier, milder flavor. Leftovers are great for breakfast. This is the best recipe I have found.

My 23 year old son loves spaghetti carbonara and makes his own often. This evening I asked him to help me make this recipe for our family of 5. He asked me if it had cream in it...because an authentic carbonara does NOT have cream. I assured him that it had no cream in it. Once we started, he was a bit frustrated because I wasn't doing it "his" way but he still was a great help. It turned out wonderful and he admitted that it was "just as good as his". I looooooved it, and will be making it again. It was VERY easy....and seeing the video before I made it ensured that I knew just when to add the egg mixture so that it wouldn't "cook up some scrambled eggs". Thanks for the great, simple recipe!!!

Guanciale can be bought at Whole Foods

I really love carbonara. This recipe didn't disappoint. When I got the pancetta from the deli, I had them slice it fairly thin. I think that was a mistake. It made it more salty then I intended. What I should've done is get it cut thick and cube it so that you get small pops of salty flavor. When it is thin, it spreads out too much and gives too much salty flavor to it. But still, I'll make this again! I have to get the recipe right. ;)

Love this traditional recipe! If you like it a little more creamier then save 1/2 cup of the pasta water (make sure you salt the water when cooking the pasta). Add the water with the egg mixture into the pasta and stir. I will make this many times as it’s my favorite!

I decided to make it because my kids like bacon.. I (against my inclination) decided to keep it simple like the recipe indicates. The kids liked it and for me it reaffirms that sometimes less is more.

So delicious and so easy! I’ve always been afraid of carbonara, but never again! Next time I’ll use less pancetta (maybe 1/2 — 3/4 lb). Just our preference. Great recipe!

yes! This is it. Save a bit of pasta water to make it creamy

This is pretty much Antonio Carluccios recipe from his famous Pasta book. Sadly he is no longer with us but his carbonara recipe is easily the best and most authentic. He also advises you let the pasta cool slightly so the egg doesn’t scramble.

I just returned from Italy - made this as is - and it is legit! The kids loved it, the adults loved it - so simple and delicious. Thank you for sharing!

I used cubed ham slice that's what I had. Came out delicious. I'll be making this regularly with the ham since it is inexpensive and readily available.

This was yummy. I made it using Zucchini noodles instead of spaghetti because I'm type 2 diabetic. Not only was it delicious but it didn't alter my blood sugar level! Thank you for posting Ivan.

Love this! I used Panchetta and we added shrimp. And since I’m cooking for two I cut it in half. I also suggest using two whole eggs and one yolk. Don’t add cheese till after. I also like adding pasta water to my Carbonara to make it creamy!!!

Big hit in our house, it was yummy and super easy! I substituted Barillo's GF spaghetti to modify dish to accommodate gluten free dietary needs. Thank you for sharing!

Added sun dried tomatoes and chili flakes for a kick. Wife and 4 kids all agree, this is our favorite pasta.

I add a little bit of olive oil when stirring in the Guanciale/Bacon to prevent any dry pasta (just in case!)

I used bacon. The recipe is great.

I have never had Spaghetti alla Carbonara before but I do plan to have it again. This is good stuff. The ingredients are not easy to find in my area though, so it won't be a regular in my life.

I’ve made this recipe twice. Once substituting pancetta, the other time prosciutto. Both turned out to be delicious. I think the richness of the eggs are what make this dish a winner. Minimal prep time and cooking time make this a great entree. Add a glass of Chianti and you have a wonderful meal. Ciao!

Did not care for this. Had a bitterness and off flavor. Not sure if the cheese or the pancetta. Probably both.

Added peas and cream franche

So easy and so yummy! Be sure to save the pasta water.

Really good, I needed to use some ham up so I browned that in bacon fat and think I forgot the olive oil because mine wasn't creamy. Could have been the pan was too hot or the lack of olive oil but I will make again and make sure to correct those issues.

I ALMOST followed the recipe - I used pancetta and did add 1/4 cup cream to the egg mixture - the liberal use of pepper "made" this dish - the pepper adds a kick that would otherwise be lacking. After using pancetta I will in the future avoid using bacon - bacon adds a distinctive almost overwhelming flavor that is not present w/ pancetta.

AMAZING! Just like I remember when I had it in a little cafe' in Rome. This is the same recipe I have used for years before and after coming to the states. There is nothing like it. Thank you so much for the recipe!

Pretty tasty but the amount of sauce isn’t quite enough for a pound of spaghetti.

Very authentic!

My favorite pasta dish and so easy to make! My hub, who does not like pasta, LOVES this! Yay. I now have a pasta dish to make which he will also eat. I added half a chopped onion and 2 garlic cloves. Will make again.

So easy and tasty! My hubs said to add it to the "hits list!"

It was good, but it didn't turn out creamy like I expected, and was a little dry. I made it exactly as written, only I doubled it so I would have leftovers for lunches (something I usually do but have since realized may not be a good thing to do with carbonara due to the eggs; haven't tried reheating yet, so I guess we'll see!) The only thing I can think of is that I possible added a little too much cheese, as I just eyeballed it. Although chopping the bacon/pancetta was a pain, I may give this another shot and hopefully it'll come out a little more creamy next time.

An authentic Carbonara uses only egg yolks, not the whole egg. Using whole eggs changes the consistency, it won’t be as silky.

I added a couple of tablespoons of whipping cream to the egg mixture and used penne pasta. Everything was delicious.

I wouldn't use as much meat.

Easy and the whole family loved it

I cut the amount of spaghetti in half and used two eggs. You also definitely need to add in some pasta cooking water and that will help give you a creamy sauce. Carbonara is tricky and I'm just thrilled when I make it and don't scramble the eggs, which is the hard part.

I used parmigiano-reggiano instead of pecorino

I didn't know where to find guanciale so I just used bacon, in my opinion you can't go wrong with bacon. That was the only adjustment I made. It was perfect! Super easy.

It was good but not great. It needed more flavor. Next time I’ll add some butter and garlic.

This was really good and really simple to make. I didn't modify the recipe too much, really just added some Italian seasoning, but not much else. It was a late night, working all day meal that my wife and I shared and it hit the spot just right! Definitely a keeper!

It is good but needs a little more sauce. Noodles are dry but the flavor is fantastic. Putting Romano cheese in the recipe is way better than Parmesan!

Excellent! You can find the guanciale here in the Boston area but I make my own!!!

Delicious as written--even if using bacon :) Simple and easy to make!

Just used Costco Kirkland Brand bacon bits and it was delicious. Definitely will make again.

One word: yummy!

Excellent! !! I used bacon and added cooked shrimp at the end. My husband loved it!!!

I have never had Spaghetti alla Carbonara before but I do plan to have it again. This is good stuff. The ingredients are not easy to find in my area though, so it won't be a regular in my life.

Don’t use whole eggs, use only the egg yolks. 50/50 pecorino and parmigiana if you don’t want it too salty.

This is my first time making and it came out great! I used ground bacon from our butcher shop since I couldn’t find the cured pork cheek. The ground bacon made it a little too salty so next time I’ll use Less.

I used bacon. This was very good.

Easy and the whole family loved it

Will make it again

Used bacon instead of the guanciale, great recipe.

This is an excellent recipe - like eating at a high-end Italian restaurant.

Found the recipe quick and easy. The only addition I made to it was 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes. I find it to be just enough pepper flakes to make it interesting, but not regretting I did this the next morning. Overall though, I like the recipe.

Good, but came out dry in the end. Needed garlic...

Pretty good, my family enjoyed it. I used bacon instead and I’m curious how it would taste if I had been able to find the original meat at my grocery store.

I followed the recipe exactly and it ended up way too dry. Not near enough eggs to get a creamy sauce. Second go around added 1/8 cup of cream, there you go, just like I ate when I lived in Italy.....

One of our family favorites. Great and simple recipe! I use pancetta from Trader Joe's instead of guanciale.

Very authentic! I learned how to make this from an Italian friend years ago while living in Rome. The only difference is I use bacon and add chopped garlic. Cook the bacon and discard about half the fat. Add the chopped garlic and sauté until fragrant, 2-3 mins. Fish out most of the garlic and add “un po” (about 2-3 tablespoons) of EVOO. Keep the oil/garlic mixture warm but not super hot. After adding the egg mixture to the pasta, pour in the garlic oil and toss. A family favorite!

This was a delicious recipe that made my family scrambling for seconds