Pasta Carbonara Recipe
Gordon Ramsay's Pasta Carbonara features a classic Italian preparation with crispy pancetta, eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper, creating a silky, creamy sauce without cream. His technique emphasizes properly timing the pasta and maintaining the right temperature to achieve the signature carbonara consistency while preventing the eggs from scrambling.
Ingredients
- 1 lb. spaghetti
- Kosher salt
- ⅔ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
- ¼ cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 ounces pancetta, chopped
- ½ small yellow onion, cut into small dice
- 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh shucked peas or thawed frozen English peas
- 8 0z Heavy Cream
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add spaghetti and cook according to the package directions until al dente. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, whisk the Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, parsley, eggs, and cream in a large bowl. Slowly drizzle in some reserved water, whisking until the mixture is well combined, and form a sauce for the pasta.
- Heat oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add pancetta and cook until the edges are crisp about 6 minutes. Remove the pancetta with a slotted spoon and reserve. Drain off all but 1 tbsp of fat from the pan. Add onion and sauté until soft and translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté one minute more. Add the wine and cook until almost all the liquid is evaporated. Remove the pan from the heat.
- Add the onions, pancetta, peas, and spaghetti to the egg-and-cheese mixture, salt, and pepper. Toss well to combine and serve with more Parmesan.
Video
Notes
When adding the egg mixture to the pasta, take the pan off the heat first and quickly stir to prevent scrambling the eggs - residual heat from the pasta will create a silky sauce.