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Pici carbonara is a rustic twist on the classic roman pasta dish. It combines the simplicity of carbonara sauce with the charm of thick, hand-rolled pici pasta. Perfect for anyone who loves a quick, hearty and satisfying meal. The rich and creamy sauce comes together in less than 15 minutes, using only eggs, pecorino, black pepper and crispy guanciale.

Ingredients and Tools You’ll Need

Pici pasta – Pici are long, hand-rolled pasta strands resembling thick spaghetti. Spaghetti or rigatoni also work well if you don’t have enough time to make pici from scratch.
Eggs – I like to use one whole egg as a base, plus one yolk per person. The yolks add richness and creaminess, while the addition of the whole egg balances the sauce and adds more moisture.
Guanciale – Guanciale is cured pork meat from the cheek or jowl of a pig. It is very fat but full of flavor. The guanciale is cooked over medium heat until crispy on the outside, but still tender on the inside. The fat melts when it’s cooked, adding a distinctive flavor and richness to the dish. If you can’t find guanciale, pancetta is a suitable substitute and more readily available. However, it may not provide the same depth of flavor.
Pecorino – Pecorino Romano is a type of Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. It provides a tangy and salty flavor that complements the richness of the sauce. You can substitute it with parmesan cheese or use a combination of both.
Pepper – freshly ground black pepper is an essential ingredient in carbonara. It adds a subtle spiciness that helps to balance the richness of the sauce.
Salt – for the pasta water. You may not need any additional salt, as the pecorino and guanciale are already quite salty.
Pasta pan – to toss the pasta, it’s best to use a sauté pan with a large surface area and high sides. It should be large enough to hold the pasta and sauce comfortably, to allow for easy tossing and stirring.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1

Make the pici pasta: Pile the flour on your work surface and create a well in the center. Pour the water and olive oil into the well. Using a fork, start mixing the flour and water in the middle until it forms a thick paste. Then, fold in the remaining flour and bring everything together into a shaggy dough. Knead for at least 10 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.

Roll the dough out to an even thickness of about 5 mm. Cut it into strips and then roll them out into thin, spaghetti-like strands. Here you can find more detailed instructions to make homemade pici pasta.

Nests of hand-rolled pici pasta on a baking tray.

Step 2

Prepare the ingredients for the sauce: The guanciale usually has one side that’s hard and tasteless and one side that’s cured with pepper and herbs. Cut the hard skin off and discard it (but leave the side with the peppercorns on). Then, cut it into slices (1/2 cm – 1 cm) and the slices into thin strips. It’s better to cut strips rather than cubes. This ensures that you have pieces with equal amounts of meat and fat. If you cut cubes, you’ll end up with pieces that have fat only. Finely grate the pecorino cheese. In a small mixing bowl, combine the whole egg, yolks, finely grated pecorino and a good amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Mix well until it turns into a smooth paste.

Step 3

Cook the guanciale: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, fry the guanciale in a skillet over medium heat until crispy and golden on the outside but still soft and tender on the inside. Don’t use any additional oil for this step. The guanciale is fat enough and will render out the fat while cooking. Make sure to stir every now and then and don’t it let it brown too much. When it’s crispy and golden, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate. Reserve the rendered fat in the pan. This is important for the flavor and richness of the sauce. Turn the heat to the lowest setting.

Step 4

Cook the pasta: Once the water is boiling, add salt and cook the pici for about 2-3 minutes, until al dente (if you use store-bought pasta, cook it according to package instructions). Reserve a cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta and transfer it directly to the pan with the guanciale fat. Add a splash of cooking water, toss, and stir. Then turn off the heat.

Step 5

Add the sauce: Gradually, add a bit of the remaining pasta water (about 1/4 cup) to the egg-cheese mixture, while stirring constantly. The goal is to temper the eggs and turn the mixture into a smooth, silky sauce. This will slowly raise the temperature of the eggs to stabilize them and prevents them from curdling or scrambling when you mix them with the hot pasta.

Take the skillet off the heat and pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss and stir until the sauce has slightly thickened (it should be creamy, but not runny). The residual heat of the pan and the paste will gently cook the eggs and melt the cheese. Stir through the guanciale (or sprinkle it over the pasta shortly before serving). If the sauce seems a little dry, add a bit more pasta water, if it’s runny, keep tossing and stirring, until it thickens. The goal is a smooth, velvety sauce that clings to the pasta and lightly coats every strand.

Step 6

Serve: Serve it immediately with sprinkled pecorino and black pepper on top. Carbonara tastes best as fresh as possible. Enjoy!

Tips & Tricks

Since carbonara is a simple dish with only a few ingredients, it’s important to use high-quality ingredients.
The key to achieving a smooth and creamy carbonara sauce is to avoid overheating and scrambling the eggs. Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan and remove it from the heat. Then, add the egg and cheese mixture. The residual heat from the pasta and the pan will cook the eggs, resulting in a luscious, creamy sauce.
Reserve some pasta water to add to the sauce: The starchy water helps to bind the sauce to the pasta, ensuring that each strand is lightly coated, and you don’t end up with a pool of sauce at the bottom of your plate.
Serve as fresh as possible: Carbonara is not something you can make in advance.

Common Questions About Pasta Carbonara

If you have leftovers, you can gently reheat the carbonara in a pan over low heat with a splash of liquid (milk, cream, or water) to rehydrate the sauce and prevent it from drying out. However, bear in mind that the taste and texture won’t be as good as freshly cooked.

Traditional carbonara doesn’t contain cream. The creamy texture of the sauce comes from the eggs, cheese, guanciale fat and the starchy pasta water.

Yes, you can use grated parmesan instead of pecorino Romano. However, parmesan has a milder, less tangy flavor and the final result may be slightly different.

If you’re having trouble finding guanciale locally, you can substitute it with pancetta. However, it doesn’t have the same taste and texture as guanciale.

Guanciale can often be purchased in specialty food stores or through online retailers that specialize in Italian ingredients. Some supermarkets also carry it in the meat section.

In many traditional carbonara recipes, only egg yolks are used, while others prefer to use whole eggs to avoid ending up with too many egg whites that could go to waste. I, personally, like to use one whole egg plus additionally one yolk per person.

More Pasta Recipes You May Like:

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busiate pasta with pesto alla trapanese on a colorful plate.

Tagliatelle alla bolognese on a white plate with a golden rim.

One portion of fresh lasagna al forno on a white plate with a fork next to it.

Flatlay of a table with three plates of Malloreddus alla campidanese. Next to it are glasses of red wine and parmesan cheese.

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Homemade pici carbonara with crispy guanciale on top.

Simple Pici Carbonara Recipe

published by: Julia

Pici carbonara is a rustic twist on the classic roman pasta dish. It combines the simplicity of carbonara sauce with the charm of thick, hand-rolled pici pasta.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep 1

Cook 20

Total 1 20

Course dinner, lunch, Main Course, Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings people

Calories 899 kcal

Equipment

Pasta pan – to toss the pasta with the sauce

Ingredients

For the pici pasta:

200 g flour – Tipo 00
100 g water – warm
10 g olive oil

For the carbonara sauce:

1 whole egg
2 egg yolks
80 g guanciale – cut into thin strips
60 g pecorino romano – finely grated
Black pepper
Salt – for the pasta water

Instructions

Make the pici pasta: Pile the flour on your work surface and create a well in the center. Pour the water and olive oil into the well. Using a fork tart mixing the flour and water in the middle until it forms a thick paste. Then fold in the remaining flour and bring everything together into a shaggy dough. Knead for at least 10 minutes. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and let it rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature.
Roll the dough out to an even thickness of about 5 mm. Cut it into strips and then roll them out into thin, spaghetti-like strands. Follow this link for more detailed instructions to make homemade pici.
Prepare the ingredients for the sauce: The guanciale usually has one side that’s hard and tasteless and one side that’s cured with pepper and herbs. Cut the hard skin off and discard it (but leave the side with the peppercorns on). Then, cut it into slices (1/2 cm – 1 cm) and the slices into thin strips. It’s better to cut strips rather than cubes. This ensures that you have pieces with equal amounts of meat and fat. If you cut cubes you’ll end up with pieces that are fat only. Finely grate the pecorino cheese. In a small mixing bowl, combine the whole egg, yolks, finely grated pecorino and a good amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Mix well until it turns into a smooth paste.
Cook the guanciale: Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil. Meanwhile, fry the guanciale in a skillet over medium heat until crispy and golden on the outside and tender on the inside. Don’t use any additional oil for this step. The guanciale is fat enough and will render out the fat while cooking. Make sure to stir every now and then and don’t it let it brown too much. When it’s crispy golden, remove it from the pan with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate. Reserve the rendered fat in the pan. This is important for the flavor and richness of the sauce. Turn the heat to the lowest setting.
Cook the pasta: Once the water is boiling, add salt and cook the pici for about 2-3 minutes, until al dente (if you use store-bought pasta cook it according to package instructions). Reserve a cup of cooking water. Drain the pasta and transfer it directly to the pan with the guanciale fat. Add a splash of cooking water, toss and stir. Then turn off the heat.
Add the sauce: Gradually add a bit of the remaining pasta water (about 1/4 cup) to the egg-cheese mixture, while stirring constantly. Don’t use too much water. You want to turn it into a smooth cream, but don’t make it watery. The goal is to temper the eggs and turn the mixture into a smooth, silky sauce. This will slowly raise the temperature of the eggs to stabilize them. This prevents them from curdling or scrambling when you mix them with the hot pasta.
Take the skillet off the heat and pour the egg mixture over the pasta. Toss and stir until the sauce has slightly thickened (it should be creamy not not runny). The residual heat of the pasta and the pan will gently cook the eggs and melt the cheese. Stir through the guanciale (or sprinkle it over the pasta shortly before serving). If the sauce seems a little dry, add a bit more pasta water, if it’s runny, keep tossing and stirring, until it thickens. The goal is a smooth, velvety sauce that clings to the pasta and lightly coats every strand.
Serve: Serve it immediately with sprinkled pecorino and black pepper on top. Carbonara tastes best as fresh as possible. Enjoy!

Video

@notjustfood_blog
Let‘s make carbonara with fresh, hand-rolled pici pasta 🍝 #carbonara #pastatiktok #pastarecipe
♬ Jackie Brown – Rhym 🫀

Notes

* Since carbonara is a simple dish, using only a few ingredients, it’s crucial to use high quality ingredients.

* The key to achieving a smooth and creamy carbonara sauce is to avoid overheating and scrambling the eggs. Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the pan and remove it from the heat. Then, add the egg and cheese mixture. The residual heat from the pasta and the pan will cook the eggs, resulting in a luscious, creamy sauce.

* Reserve some pasta water to add to the sauce: The starchy water helps to bind the sauce to the pasta so that each strand is lightly coated and you don’t end up with a pool of sauce at the bottom of your plate.

* Serve as fresh as possible: Carbonara is not something you should make in advance. The sauce will start to dry up and loses its creaminess if it’s left to sit out before serving.

Nutrition

Calories: 899kcalCarbohydrates: 78gProtein: 30gFat: 51gSaturated Fat: 20gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 350mgSodium: 747mgPotassium: 183mgFiber: 3gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 505IUCalcium: 371mgIron: 6mg

Keywords Carbonara recipe, easy pasta recipe, Fresh Pasta, homemade pasta, Pici carbonara, pici recipe