How to Make Real Carbonara: The Roman Way with Guanciale and Egg Yolk

Carbonara is a classic pasta from Rome.

The real version uses only guanciale, egg yolk, and cheese. No cream.

This is my record of making Carbonara with guanciale (cured pork jowl) — the actual steps and details.

Big thanks to my buddy Andreas Wiesener for his homemade guanciale.

This dish doesn’t need to be complicated. Only three things really matter:

Guanciale, egg yolk, cheese.

How to Make It

Start by cooking the pasta. Add a bit more salt to the water than usual.

Cut the guanciale into small pieces. Put them in a cold pan, then turn on low heat. Let the fat slowly render out. Remove the crispy bits and set aside.

---

Mix two egg yolks with cheese and coarse black pepper.

Add some pasta water and a small spoonful of the rendered guanciale fat. Whisk until it’s creamy. Set aside.

---

When the pasta is ready, transfer it to the pan with the fat. Add a splash of pasta water and toss until it reaches the texture you want.

Take it off the heat and let it cool down a bit — just until it’s warm, not hot.

Then add the egg yolk mixture and toss until every strand is coated.

Plate it up, drizzle the rest of the sauce on top, sprinkle more cheese and black pepper, and finish with the crispy guanciale.

Done.