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Creamy One-Person Pasta Carbonara Recipe with Crispy Guanciale

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A quick and easy creamy pasta carbonara recipe perfect for solo dining, featuring crispy guanciale and a silky egg and cheese sauce.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 2 oz (60 g) guanciale, cut into small strips or cubes
  • 3 oz (85 g) spaghetti
  • 2 large egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (30 g) freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
  • Generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
  • Salt for pasta water
  • 1 small garlic clove, peeled and smashed (optional)
  • Extra Pecorino Romano for serving (optional)

Instructions

  1. Cut guanciale into small strips or cubes. Heat a skillet over medium heat, add guanciale, and cook until crispy and fat is rendered, about 5-7 minutes. Add smashed garlic halfway through cooking for flavor, then remove garlic once golden. Set guanciale aside, keeping the fat in the pan.
  2. Bring 4 cups (1 liter) salted water to a rolling boil. Add spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 8-9 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup (60 ml) pasta water before draining.
  3. While pasta cooks, whisk egg yolks with freshly grated Pecorino Romano and a generous grind of black pepper in a bowl until smooth.
  4. Immediately transfer hot drained spaghetti into the skillet with guanciale fat over low heat. Toss quickly to coat each strand without cooking the eggs yet.
  5. Remove skillet from heat. Pour egg-cheese mixture over pasta, tossing swiftly and continuously to create a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time if sauce feels too thick.
  6. Stir crispy guanciale pieces back into the pasta. Taste and adjust seasoning with more black pepper or Pecorino if desired.
  7. Serve immediately, topping with extra Pecorino and freshly cracked black pepper.

Notes

Use room-temperature eggs to prevent scrambling. Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency. Toss sauce off direct heat to maintain creaminess. Freshly grind black pepper for authentic flavor. Avoid burnt guanciale for best taste.

Nutrition

Keywords: carbonara, pasta, guanciale, creamy sauce, one-person meal, quick dinner, Italian recipe

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