A real carbonara has no cream in it. The silky sauce comes from egg yolks, grated cheese and starchy pasta water, tossed with hot spaghetti off the heat until they turn glossy and coat every strand. Crisp, smoky bacon makes it rich, and a lot of black pepper keeps it sharp.
The only thing that can go wrong is scrambled eggs, and that's easy to avoid once you know the trick: take the pan off the heat before the eggs go in.
What You Will Need
From FNF:
- FNF Smoked Bacon (200 g)
For 2 people:
- 200 g spaghetti
- 3 egg yolks and 1 whole egg
- 60 g Parmesan or pecorino, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- 1 tsp freshly cracked black pepper, plus extra to serve
- Salt for the pasta water
Method
- Thaw the bacon in the fridge. Cut it into thin strips.
- Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it well. Add the spaghetti and cook until just al dente.
- Meanwhile, put the bacon in a cold, wide pan and turn the heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until the fat has melted out and the bacon is golden and crisp. Turn off the heat and leave the bacon and its fat in the pan.
- In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, grated cheese and black pepper into a thick paste.
- Before draining the pasta, scoop out a mug of the cooking water.
- Add the drained spaghetti to the bacon pan with a splash of pasta water and toss well. Make sure the pan is off the heat.
- Let it cool for 30 seconds, then pour in the egg mixture and toss fast, adding a little more pasta water at a time, until the sauce is glossy and creamy and clings to the pasta.
- Serve straight away with more cheese and black pepper.
Tips
- If the sauce looks thin, keep tossing: it thickens as it cools slightly. If it looks thick or sticky, add pasta water.
- Don't drain the bacon fat. It's part of the sauce.
- Carbonara waits for no one. Have plates ready before you add the eggs.
More breakfast and pasta favourites: shop bacon, ham and salami.
Order before 4 PM for same-day delivery across Delhi NCR. Free delivery on orders above ₹449.
