Stop Using Cream! The ONLY Way to Make Carbonara

Summary by Krater

Vincenzo Prosperi visits Rome to demonstrate how to make authentic Italian spaghetti alla carbonara using spaghetti, guanciale, eggs, pecorino cheese, and black pepper, concluding with a tasting session on a hotel terrace.

From the video

Answers: How do you make authentic Roman spaghetti alla carbonara?

• Spaghetti alla carbonara preparation
• Selecting guanciale for carbonara
• Egg and pecorino sauce mixing technique
• Adding pasta water to create carbonara sauce

Ingredients

• rock salt
• 300 g spaghettoni
• 150 g guanciale
• 4 eggs
• 200 g pecorino cheese
• black pepper
• extra virgin olive oil

What it concludes

• Never put cream in carbonara because it is a dish that needs to be cooked, served, and eaten straight away, and cream avoids the pasta getting stuck together and makes it easier for the chef.
• Do not use bacon instead of guanciale because bacon is smoked and gives a different flavor that ruins authentic carbonara flavor.
• Spaghetti is the classic pasta to use for carbonara, while spaghettoni is even better because it absorbs eggs better.
• One egg should be used for 100 grams of pasta, plus an extra egg on top for better sauce consistency.
• Cooking guanciale slowly in a cold pan prevents it from burning and allows the fat to render properly into oil.
• Adding pasta water to the egg and pecorino mixture helps combine the ingredients and prevent scrambling when mixed with hot pasta.