Fettucine Carbonara (No Cream)

fettucine carbonara in a bowl topped with bacon and herbs.

5 from 7 votes

You’ll love this easy fettuccine carbonara, made from scratch the traditional way (no cream!). Crispy pancetta (or bacon) and al dente pasta are tossed through a gloriously silky carbonara sauce made with fresh eggs, pecorino cheese and starchy pasta water. And everything is ready in 15 minutes; perfect for a comforting midweek meal.

Prep Time5

Cook Time10

Total Time15

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Calories: 680kcal

Author: Andrea Geddes

Ingredients

375 grams fettuccine fresh or dried
salt for the pasta water
3 large eggs room temperature
1 egg yolk
1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese around 80-90 grams freshly grated pecorino romano. Or use parmesan instead.
cracked black pepper
300 grams pancetta (or bacon) or guanciale or bacon, finely diced.
4 cloves garlic crushed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup reserved pasta water (reserve the salted, starchy pasta water that the pasta is cooked in for the sauce)

To serve

extra pecorino cheese shaved or finely grated
cracked pepper

Metric - US Customary

Instructions

In a large pot over high heat, bring 4-5 litres of water and 1 tablespoon of salt to the boil. Add your pasta and cook to the packet instructions, until the pasta is al dente (don't overcook). Don't forget to reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining the pasta.
While the pasta is cooking, prepare the ingredients for the sauce.
Place the eggs, egg yolk, pecorino and some cracked pepper in a bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.
Add the pancetta (or bacon), garlic and olive oil to a large frying pan and cook over medium-high heat until the pancetta is very crisp and lightly browned.
Before draining the pasta, reserve one cup of pasta water and set aside. Drain the pasta.
Add the cooked pasta and reserved pasta water to the pan with the pancetta and stir (over heat) until well combined.
Turn the heat off and let the pan sit for 1-2 minutes. Turning the heat off is important to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Make sure you have some tongs or a spoon handy for when you add the egg mixture.
Working quickly, add the egg and pecorino mixture to the pasta and stir or toss together until completely combined. Keep stirring or tossing until the sauce has thickened to a cream-like consistency.
Serve immediately with some extra pecorino cheese. Enjoy!

Video

Notes

Don’t forget to reserve the pasta water before draining!
Turn off the heat before adding the egg mixture! This is the most important step in making carbonara. Adding the eggs with the heat on will scramble the eggs, making an unpleasant and lumpy sauce. After mixing the pancetta and pasta/pasta water, turn the heat off and leave the pan to sit for 1-2 minutes. The residual heat is enough to thicken the sauce without scrambling the eggs. If the sauce doesn’t quite thicken enough, stir very carefully over low heat for only enough time to thicken and remove from the heat immediately.
Work quickly. Have everything prepared and ready to add to the pan before you start to make the sauce. Once you add the eggs to the pasta, quickly stir everything together and keep stirring until the sauce thickens.
Don’t over-salt! Save the seasoning to the end and adjust only if necessary. The pancetta, pecorino and pasta water all contain salt, so the pasta is usually perfectly seasoned without the need for extra salt.
Use room temperature eggs. This will help to keep the sauce smooth and light. Cold eggs can become lumpy.
Freshly grate the cheese. Don’t use pre-packaged shredded cheese, which contains anti-caking agents that will prevent the cheese from melting into the sauce. Grate your own fresh cheese so that it mixes nicely into the sauce.
Don’t overcook the pasta. Make sure the pasta is al dente. Overcooked pasta will become mushy and fall apart in the sauce.
Salt the pasta water. Add 1 tablespoon of salt to 4-5 litres of boiling water. This will season the pasta perfectly from the inside out.
Variations – add some leftover sliced chicken breast or add some spinach leaves to the sauce to wilt before serving.
Storage; Carbonara is a delicate dish that is best eaten fresh, as soon as it is made. But leftovers can be stored to enjoy later. Allow it to cool completely and store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Reheating; remove the container of pasta from the fridge and allow to sit at room temperature for up to 30 minutes. When ready to reheat, place the pasta in a large, non-stick pan and add a little stock or water, to loosen. Stir over low heat until steaming hot and serve immediately.
This recipe yields 4 small or 3 larger serves of pasta. Please note that the nutrition information is based on the pasta being divided into 4 bowls, with one bowl being one serve. The nutritional information is an estimate only and does not take into account any additional toppings or sides served with the pasta.
This recipe is made using Australian cups and spoon measurements. Any reference to cups or spoons in this recipe is in Australian metric. Due to cup sizes varying from country to country, I advise adjusting if necessary.

Nutrition