6 oz. guanciale or pancetta, cut into 1/4-inch dice

  • cook in a small pan until fat is rendered, about 15 minutes

1 lb. pasta (rigatoni is traditional, but rotini, cavatappi, etc. are fine)

  • cook pasta to al dente, according to package directions then drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water

5 egg yolks
1 egg
3 oz. grated Pecorino Romano cheese

  • whisk egg and yolks with guanciale and fat
  • add pasta, 1/4 cup of pasta water, and cheese and toss until mixed and the cheese is melted, adding more pasta water as needed

3/4 tsp. crushed red pepper
salt and pepper
1 oz. grated Pecorino Romano cheese

  • add red pepper, season with salt and pepper, and top with remaining cheese

source: https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/pasta-carbonara

8/4/24: made this a couple of months ago and it didn’t really work very well.