🍝 Rigatoni Carbonara
Rigatoni carbonara is the Roman classic made with short ridged pasta: crisp guanciale, eggs, pecorino romano and lots of black pepper. The hot pasta gently cooks the egg and cheese into a glossy, creamy coating without any cream. It is salty, peppery and rich, and is eaten immediately while the sauce is silky.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 320 g rigatoni
- 120 g guanciale, cut into strips
- 3 egg yolks + 1 whole egg
- 60 g pecorino, finely grated
- Freshly ground black pepper
Method
- Cook the guanciale in a dry pan until crisp and take the pan off the heat.
- Whisk the yolks, egg, pecorino and plenty of pepper into a thick cream.
- Boil the rigatoni until al dente and add it to the guanciale.
- Away from the heat, stir in the egg mixture with a few spoons of pasta water until creamy, then serve.
How to make it lighter
- Drain off part of the rendered fat before tossing the pasta.
- Use 2 whole eggs instead of yolks for a lighter sauce.
- A 250 g portion with a salad keeps the meal satisfying but smaller.
History
Carbonara is first documented in Italy in the years after the Second World War, and its exact origin is debated; one popular theory links it to supplies of eggs and bacon brought by American troops. Rome claims the dish, and rigatoni is one of the shapes commonly used there besides spaghetti.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →