Pasta Carbonara (Amalfi Coast Recipe) - Tastefully Grace (2024)

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5 from 124 votes

At a quaint, off the beaten path café in Amalfi, Italy, I had the best pasta carbonara I’ve ever had (and one of the single best pasta dishes ever consumed). The family that owned this café was so happy that we loved their carbonara, that they invited me into their kitchen to watch the magic happen. It was one of the best moments of my life!

Pasta Carbonara (Amalfi Coast Recipe) - Tastefully Grace (1)

This simple pasta carbonara recipe is a perfect flavor blend of creamy richness and a porky kick. This timeless Italian classic is kicked up a notch with this Amalfi version, adding shallots and whole milk to the dish for extra flavor and creaminess. Your taste buds will thank you!

Want another classic Italian pasta dish recipe? Try Pasta al Limone!

What is Pasta Carbonara?

Carbonara is a traditional Roman pasta dish that combines few, but high-quality ingredients. This dish showcases the harmonious blend of pasta, eggs, parmigiano-reggiano cheese, guanciale (cured pork jowl) or pancetta, and black pepper. The result is a creamy, rich sauce that clings to the pasta, creating an indulgent flavor experience.

This “Amalfi style” includes the five standard ingredients in Roman carbonara (spaghetti, pancetta/guanciale, eggs, parmesan cheese, and black pepper), but it also includes whole milk and shallots.

Still – this recipe doesn’t include cream or peas that you’d typically see in carbonara throughout the US. This Amalfi carbonara is delicate like the Roman version, but it has just a bit more creaminess with a touch of sharpness from the shallots. I was so lucky to be able to watch and cook carbonara with a local pro. Here’s how she made carbonara as I remember it. She didn’t measure out ingredients, so I’ve experimented with the recipe to recreate it just how I remember it tasting!

Tips for Marking Pasta Carbonara

  • Choose Quality Ingredients: Opt for high-quality eggs, Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, and pancetta to ensure an authentic and flavorful Carbonara base.
  • Respect Tradition: Stick to the traditional ingredients and preparation methods for an authentic taste that pays homage to its Italian roots.
  • Mind the Heat: While cooking the sauce, use low heat to avoid scrambling the eggs, achieving a silky and creamy texture. I use pasteurized eggs (previously heat-treated) since I don’t like to take any risks when working with raw ingredients.
  • Pasta Water is Your Friend: Save a cup of pasta cooking water before draining. The starchy water can be added to the sauce for a smoother consistency.
  • Serve and Eat Immediately: Carbonara is best eaten right after preparation to enjoy its creamy goodness at its peak.

Pasta Carbonara Ingredients

  • High-quality spaghetti: Nothing beats a perfect al dente pasta. Spaghetti or bucatini is the go-to noodle for this dish.
  • Pancetta or guanciale: Pancetta is milder, while guanciale is more intense and fatty. I like pancetta!
  • Parmigiano Reggiano: Parmigiano is used in the sauce to add creaminess and flavor, and as a finishing touch.
  • Whole milk: Whole milk adds a creamy richness to balance the sauce’s flavors and texture.
  • Shallots: Shallots add an onion-like kick providing subtle depth to the dish.
  • Eggs (I use pasteurized): Eggs also contribute to the creaminess and richness to the sauce.
  • Extra-virgin olive oil: EVOO helps saute shallots.
  • Black pepper to taste: Freshly cracked black pepper adds a warm, peppery kick.

How to Make Pasta Carbonara

Full instructions in the recipe card; this is just an outline!

  1. Combine.

    Whisk together whole milk, egg, cheese, and black pepper to create your sauce base. Set aside.

  2. Boil.

    Cook spaghetti to perfect al dente, according to cooking instructions on the box.

  3. Cook.

    In a separate pot or pan, cook pancetta until just crispy, about 5-8 minutes over medium heat. Drain extra fat (the liquid in the pan!).

  4. Saute.

    Throw in your shallots to the pancetta pan (and a dash of olive oil if needed) and sweat them for about 2 minutes.

  5. Add.

    Drain your pasta and add to the pancetta/shallot pot. Use tongs to combine.

  6. Combine.

    Turn stove off, and add egg mixture, stirring into hot pasta, pancetta and shallots. Stir constantly until all ingredients are steaming hot.

  7. Serve.

    Serve immediately! And of course, with more grated cheese and black pepper!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Can I use bacon instead of guanciale or pancetta?

Guanciale or pancetta are traditional, but bacon can be used as an alternative and still give you the essence of Carbonara.

What if my sauce is too thick?

Incorporate a little more reserved pasta water and gently toss until the sauce reaches the desired consistency.

What if my sauce is too runny?

Add a bit more cheese to help bind the sauce.

Can I add salt?

You can certainly add salt, but the cheese and pancetta/guanciale are plenty salty. Only add a little at a time if you choose to do so.

Can I use a different type of pasta?

Spaghetti is traditional, but you can use any type of pasta shape you like. I prefer to stick to ones that can hold the creamy sauce, like fettuccine, bucatini or rigatoni.

How can I prevent the eggs from scrambling?

Make sure to remove the pan from direct heat before adding the egg and cheese mixture and toss quickly to coat the pasta evenly.

Can I make pasta carbonara in advance?

Carbonara is best enjoyed fresh, as reheating can cause the eggs to overcook and the sauce to become less creamy.

Can I reheat leftover carbonara?

Reheating carbonara is not recommended as it can result in a loss of creaminess.

How can I ensure the pasta is al dente?

Taste the pasta a minute or two before the suggested cooking time ends. It should have a slight firmness when bitten, as it will continue cooking briefly when combined with the sauce.

Other Pasta Recipes You’ll Love

  • Chicken Pesto Pasta
  • Sun-Dried Tomato Pasta
  • Pasta Primavera
  • Pasta alla Genovese
  • Lemon Pasta (Pasta al Limone)
  • Pasta With Bacon and Peas
  • Cacio e Pepe Recipe

Pasta Carbonara (Amalfi Coast Recipe) - Tastefully Grace (2)

Pasta Carbonara (Amalfi Coast Recipe)

At a quaint, off the beaten path café in Amalfi, Italy, I had the best pasta carbonara I’ve ever had (and one of the single best pasta dishes ever consumed). The family that owned this café was so happy that we loved their carbonara, that they invited me into their kitchen to watch the magic happen. It was one of the best moments of my life!

5 from 124 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes minutes

Course: Appetizer, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Keyword: any season, winter

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 845kcal

Author: TastefullyGrace

Ingredients

  • 1 pound good-quality spaghetti
  • 8 ounces pancetta or guanciale, which is fattier and gamier
  • 1 ½ cup parmigiano reggiano plus more to garnish
  • ¾ cup whole milk
  • 2 shallots chopped
  • 3 large eggs you can substitute pasteurized eggs if you prefer!
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ teaspoon black pepper or to taste

Instructions

  • In a bowl, whisk together milk, egg, cheese, and black pepper. Set aside.

  • Begin boiling spaghetti to al dente, according to cooking instructions on box.

  • In a separate large pot, sauté pancetta in a dry pan until it just starts to get crispy, about 5-8 minutes over medium heat. Drain extra fat (the liquid in the pan!). Add shallots (and a dash of olive oil if needed) and sweat them for about 2 minutes. Then turn heat to low to keep ingredients warm.

  • Drain pasta and add to pancetta/shallot pot. Use tongs to combine. Turn stove off, and add egg mixture, stirring into hot pasta, pancetta and shallots. Stir constantly until all ingredients are steaming hot.

  • Serve immediately with more grated cheese and black pepper! OH MY!!

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 845kcal | Carbohydrates: 90g | Protein: 35g | Fat: 37g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 16g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 140mg | Sodium: 827mg | Potassium: 509mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 386IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 378mg | Iron: 2mg

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Pasta Carbonara (Amalfi Coast Recipe) - Tastefully Grace (2024)

FAQs

What is the golden rule of cooking carbonara? ›

The golden rule to silky carbonara is to whisk your egg whites so that they're completely incorporated with the egg yolks. This will create a smooth, velvety sauce. As like any pasta dish, including carbonara, cook the pasta perfectly al dente so that it's soft but still firm, with some bite.

Which ingredient should never be used in traditional carbonara? ›

What not to put in Spaghetti Carbonara? Don't put garlic, cream, milk or butter. It is not needed. It is fine if you want to make a dish with those ingredients, but if you want to learn how to make this dish correctly, use only pecorino, eggs/egg yolks, black pepper, guanciale, and pasta water.

What is the famous Amalfi pasta? ›

Spaghetti alla Nerano is one of the most famous pasta dishes from our corner of Italy's south; the Sorrento and Amalfi Coast.

Do Italians put cream in carbonara? ›

Taste.com.au Food Director, Amira Georgy, confirmed this, saying: “Traditionally, carbonara sauce contains no cream, just eggs and cheese. The eggs and cheese are added to the hot pasta and tossed together until a silky sauce forms.”

What is the secret ingredient in carbonara? ›

While a simple spaghetti carbonara recipe uses pancetta as the meat and a traditional Italian recipe may use guanciale, a cured pork, De Laurentiis combines bacon and pancetta to give her dish a unique salty kick. But she ups the ante even more with a secret ingredient — cinnamon.

Does carbonara use whole egg or egg yolk? ›

The authentic recipe requires only eggs, specifically the yolks, and a few useful tricks. The first one is the cooking method. Whatever you do, do not put the sauce on the heat source. Just brown the pancetta or bacon and toast the ground pepper.

What is the number 1 selling pasta in Italy? ›

Barilla Pasta is Italy's largest dry pasta brand and dominates the European and American markets. With a long-standing reputation as one of the best Italian pasta brands in the United States, Barilla's products are made with high-protein durum wheat flour, ensuring top quality.

Where do celebrities eat in Amalfi Coast? ›

In Positano, on the other hand, it's easy to run into them at the tables of Chez Black; and in Praiano, at “Il Pirata” alla Marina di Praia. Many celebrities love to go to La Tagliata, a restaurant and farm in Positano that offers meat-based specialties and products from their garden.

What is the rarest pasta in Italy? ›

These seekers persist not to find the sanctuary itself, but to eat what may be the rarest pasta in the world. Su filindeu—literally “threads of God” in Sardo—is unfathomably intricate. It's made by only three women on Earth, all of whom live on Sardinia. And they make it only for the biannual Feast of San Francesco.

What is the best meat for carbonara? ›

Carbonara is traditionally made with guanciale, or cured pork jowl, though pancetta is often substituted, and both are fatty, salty and deeply savoury.

What cheese to use for carbonara? ›

Pecorino Romano: This aged sheep's cheese is always traditionally used in the Roman pastas, and its salty, grassy, earthy flavor is absolutely delicious in carbonara. That said, if Pecorino is unavailable at your local grocery store, you can use Parmesan as a non-traditional substitute.

Is carbonara better with or without cream? ›

Egg yolks and whole eggs – The egg combined with the guanciale fat is what makes the stunning creamy carbonara sauce that the world is obsessed with. There's no need for cream for a creamy sauce! See section above for why. We use a combination of whole eggs, plus egg yolks for richness.

What is the trick about carbonara sauce? ›

Whisk Like You Mean It

You're using more egg yolks than whites here, which is what makes carbonara so rich and luxurious. But there's still two eggs-worth of whites in there. Whisking your eggs so that the whites are completely incorporated into the yolks will give your sauce a more uniform texture.

How do I make my carbonara better? ›

You only get one chance to get it right
  1. Use room temperature eggs.
  2. Add Parmesan to your whisked eggs at the very beginning of the recipe. ...
  3. Flavour your pancetta (or bacon) with garlic while it fries, but take the cloves out before adding your pasta. ...
  4. Black pepper: use more than you think!
Jun 15, 2020

How do I make sure my eggs are cooked in carbonara? ›

This might be the most important step in making carbonara. Before adding the eggs and cheese to the pasta, you MUST turn off the heat. If you don't, you could overcook your sauce and turn it into scrambled eggs. The residual heat from the hot noodles and pasta water will cook the egg yolks without scrambling them.

What are the golden rules of cooking pasta? ›

10 rules for perfect pasta. By Matt Preston
  • Use a large, light pot. ...
  • Season your pasta water with lots of salt. ...
  • Never add oil to the boiling water.
  • Add your pasta when the water is bubbling furiously. ...
  • Serve your pasta “al dente”.

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