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Italy, Europe · Carbonara

Toasted-Pepper Carbonara, Bain-Marie Style

A restaurant-style carbonara: toasted cracked pepper and guanciale fat whisked into the yolks, then gently set over steam into a silky, glossy sauce.

ServingsServes 2
Total cooking time28 min
DifficultyHard
About servingsThe yolks are cooked only to about 65°C for a soft, silky finish. Use very fresh eggs.

Method

  1. Trim the hard rind off the guanciale and cut it into strips 1 cm wide and 5 mm thick. Finely grate both cheeses. Crack the peppercorns coarsely with a mortar or the base of a heavy pan.

  2. Toast the cracked pepper in a dry 26 cm pan over medium-low heat for until fragrant. Tip half into a large heatproof bowl (metal or glass) and leave the rest in the pan.

    Add in this stepWhole black peppercorns 1 tsp

    medium-low heat

  3. Add the guanciale to the same pan and render it slowly over medium-low heat for , stirring now and then, until the edges are golden, the outside is crisp and the inside still slightly chewy. Lift the guanciale onto a plate and keep the fat in the pan.

    Add in this stepGuanciale (or pancetta) 120 g

    medium-low heat

  4. In the bowl with the pepper, whisk the yolks, whole egg, both cheeses and 1 tbsp of the warm (not hot) guanciale fat into a thick paste.

    Add in this stepEgg yolks 3Whole eggs 1Finely grated Pecorino Romano 36 gFinely grated Parmigiano Reggiano 20 g

  5. Bring the water to a boil in a 20 cm pot over high heat, add the salt and cook the pasta 2 minutes less than the packet time. Before draining, scoop out a full mug of pasta water.

    Add in this stepPasta cooking water 2 LSalt for the pasta water 14 gSpaghetti (spaghettoni if you can find it) 200 g

    high heat

  6. Lift the pasta with tongs into the pan with the guanciale fat, add a small ladle of pasta water and toss over medium heat for . The pasta should soak up the water while the fat and starch turn into a cloudy, glossy coating.

    medium heat

  7. Move the pasta into the egg bowl and set the bowl over the pasta pot (pour off some water so it does not touch the bowl). Keep the pot on low heat and toss nonstop for , adding 3 tbsp of pasta water a little at a time. It is ready when the sauce looks like thick custard and no runny egg remains (about 65°C if you have a thermometer).

    low heat

  8. Plate, top with the crisp guanciale, the reserved toasted pepper and a little extra pecorino, and serve at once.

    Add in this stepFinely grated Pecorino Romano 4 g

Cook's tip

The bain-marie raises the temperature slowly so the eggs thicken instead of scrambling. If you see tiny lumps, lift the bowl off the pot, add 1 tbsp pasta water and toss hard. Go easy on the salt in the water: the cheese and guanciale are already salty.

Cooking it at camp

One burner is enough: render the guanciale first, then set a steel mug or small bowl over the pot you cooked the pasta in to make the bain-marie. Keep eggs and cheese in the cooler and take them out 30 minutes before cooking so they emulsify more easily.