Dinner

Carbonara

Name: Carbonara
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 20 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 175 g guanciale, pancetta or streaky bacon (after skin removed); 2 large eggs; 2 egg yolks; 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano (or parmesan), finely grated; ¼ tsp black pepper; 400 g spaghetti; 1 tbsp cooking salt (for pasta water); 125 ml (½ cup) pasta cooking water; 1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

Serves 4 Prep 5 min Cook 15 min Total 20 min

Carbonara sits in our dinner collection for weeknight dinners when you still want something proper. We keep the voice practical — what to buy, what heat to use, and how to tell when it is done. Plan on 20 min from starting prep to plating for 4. Prep is about 5 min; the active cook or oven time is closer to 15 min. Read the whole method once before you turn on the heat. Key building blocks: guanciale, eggs and egg yolks. If you need a substitute, change one thing at a time and expect the texture notes below to matter more than the timer. Use it for weeknight dinners when you still want something proper, then serve straight from the pan with a simple salad or mash. Feeds a small table as written; bump quantities if you are feeding a crew. Metric spoons here mean a 20 ml tablespoon and a 5 ml teaspoon. Method opens with: “Cut guanciale into batons. Whisk eggs, yolks, cheese and pepper in a large bowl.”. Follow the order as written; jumping ahead is how pans crowd and sauces split.

Ingredients

175 g guanciale, pancetta or streaky bacon (after skin removed)
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
100 g Parmigiano Reggiano (or parmesan), finely grated
¼ tsp black pepper
400 g spaghetti
1 tbsp cooking salt (for pasta water)
125 ml (½ cup) pasta cooking water
1 garlic clove, minced (optional)

Method

Cut guanciale into batons. Whisk eggs, yolks, cheese and pepper in a large bowl.
Boil spaghetti in 4 L salted water per packet. Reserve 1 cup pasta water; drain.
Cook guanciale in a dry pan over medium-high until golden (add garlic last minute if using).
Toss hot pasta in the pan with guanciale fat. Tip into egg bowl with ½ cup pasta water.
Stir vigorously with a wooden-spoon handle 30–60 seconds until creamy and clinging. Serve immediately in warm bowls.

Tip: No cream. Must grate cheese yourself. Eat straight away.

Notes

Putting it together for Carbonara: work clean, taste as you go, and do not rush browning or reduction steps if they appear in the method. If you are cooking for mixed diets, plate sauces and toppings separately where practical. Keep this page bookmarked if it becomes a household regular — we update wording when cooks report a confusing step. Metric consistency across Scoops & Dishes means once you trust the cups and scales here, breakfast through dessert behaves the same way.
Serving ideas without fluff: serve straight from the pan with a simple salad or mash. Keep accompaniments simple so the dish stays the hero — a green salad, steamed veg, rice, mash, or crusty bread depending on the style. Metric measures stay consistent across Scoops & Dishes, so once you trust the cups and scales here, the rest of the site cooks the same way.
Why this page is written this way: we keep the story short and put the value in practical detail — ingredient order, heat cues, and storage — because that is what helps a home cook succeed on a Tuesday night. If a step feels unclear, email [email protected] and we will tidy the wording on the next pass.
Shopping and mise en place: read the full ingredient list once before you start. For Carbonara, guanciale and eggs are the items that decide whether the dish tastes flat or properly seasoned. Weigh where grams are given — volume cups are fine for liquids and some dry goods, but baking ratios are tighter if you use scales. Australian cups are 250 ml; a tablespoon is 20 ml and a teaspoon is 5 ml.