Experience the irresistible flavors of rigatoni carbonara - pasta, eggs, cheese, and guanciale combine in a timeless Italian comfort dish that pleases all.
When it comes to pasta flavors, the options are abound - from pasta al pesto to bucatini cacio e pepe to pasta alla Norcina to lobster alfredo.
But one of the OGs is carbonara. While traditionally made with spaghetti, this recipe mixes it up with rigatoni which really soaks up the luscious sauce.
Why This Recipe Works
- Perfect Pasta Pairing - Rigatoni's hollow tube-like shape and ridges are ideal for holding the rich carbonara sauce, allowing every bite to be filled with flavor.
- Creamy and Savory Combo - The creamy sauce made from eggs, cheese, and guanciale creates a luxurious and savory taste that complements the robustness of rigatoni.
- Quick to Prepare - You can have this dish from start to the dinner table in under 30 minutes.
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Ingredient Notes
- Pasta - Rigatoni is the pasta of choice for carbonara due to its ridges and hollow shape, which help capture and hold the sauce.
- Guanciale - An Italian cured meat made from pork jowl or cheek. Similar to pancetta, guanciale has a rich, fatty flavor and a unique texture that adds depth and complexity to dishes.
- Garlic - While not traditional, garlic has a distinct and aromatic flavor that can enhance the taste of the sauce.
- Eggs - The eggs play a crucial role in creating the creamy texture of carbonara. Fresh, preferably free-range eggs are recommended.
- Cheese - Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano are the classic cheeses used in carbonara. Both bring a rich, salty flavor to the dish. Grate the cheese just before using for maximum freshness.
Ingredient Swaps
While this rigatoni carbonara is pretty perfect, you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- Although rigatoni is used in this carbonara recipe, you can substitute it with other pasta shapes. Spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, or penne can work well as alternatives. Each pasta shape will give a slightly different texture and mouthfeel to the dish.
- Guanciale tastes amazing, but it can be difficult to find sometimes. You can also use pancetta or bacon.
- While Pecorino Romano and Parmesan are traditional cheeses used in carbonara, you can experiment with different types of cheese. For example, you could try using Grana Padano, Asiago, or a combination of different hard cheeses to add your own twist to the dish
- To incorporate more vegetables/flavors into the dish, you can add ingredients like sautéed mushrooms, peas, roasted cherry tomatoes, wilted spinach or herbs like thyme or rosemary. These additions can bring freshness, color, and added nutritional value.
Step-by-Step Photos
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Heat olive oil in a non-stick skillet. Sauté guanciale until crisp. Add garlic and cook briefly.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth. Mix in cheese and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water.
Quickly add pasta to the egg mixture, gently tossing. Add more pasta water if needed. Stir in guanciale and garlic.
FAQs
At its core, carbonara is made from egg, hard sharp cheese, pepper, and guanciale – a cured pork. The egg is cooked from the heat of the pasta and pasta water, which turns it into a sauce.
This rigatoni carbonara replaces the more traditional spaghetti with rigatoni.
There are a few keys to avoid scrambled eggs. First you need to make sure the eggs are room temperature and you whisk them until completely incorporated.
You can either toss in the eggs to the cooked rigatonioff heat or add the hot gnocchi to a bowl of beaten eggs. I prefer option 2 as there are less potential issues of scrambling your eggs.
The key is to work fast when tossing the pasta and add a little bit of warm pasta water at a time to help thicken the sauce.
Yes, you can make a vegetarian version. Simply omit the guanciale and consider adding sautéed mushrooms or other vegetables to enhance the flavors and provide a meaty texture.
It will last about 3 days if stored in an airtight container in the fridge.
My preferred method is placing the leftover pasta in a skillet with a splash of water. Cook on medium-low until heated through.
You can also microwave. Place in a microwave-proof bowl with a splash of water and microwave for 1 minute. Stir and microwave for another minute or until heated through.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the rigatoni carbonara turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Skillet/Dutch Oven - You want something large enough to cook the sauce.
- Spoon - You want a good wooden spoon to stir everything together.
- Cheese Grater - I mentioned multiple time but use a cheese block and grate yourself.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- DO NOT overcook the pasta when boiling. You want it just al dente or slightly under. It continues to cook with the sauce.
- Make sure the water you are cooking the pasta in is salted as some of the flavor comes from it.
- Don't use pre-shredded cheese. You want if finely grated so it melts well. Pre-shredded has added ingredients that will just make it clump up.
- Add hot pasta immediately. You need to stir the hot pasta immediately into the egg mixture to help cook them. If they still aren't completely creamy, add back to the pot, but don't put it over heat.
Other Pasta Recipes
If you’ve tried this rigatoni carbonara or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Rigatoni Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 lb rigatoni
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ lb diced guanciale
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 whole eggs
- 4 egg yolks
- ½ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- ½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Boil the rigatoni until al dente. Drain and reserve about 1 cup pasta water.
- In a large non-stick skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the guanciale and cook until it is crisp. Stir in the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs until there are no lumps and then add the cheese. Add ¼ cup of reserved pasta water to the egg mixture and mix to combine.
- Working quickly, add the pasta to the bowl with the egg mixture, and gently toss. Add more pasta water if necessary to reach desired consistency. Stir in guanciale and garlic and serve immediately.
Notes
- DO NOT overcook the pasta when boiling. You want it just al dente or slightly under. It continues to cook with the sauce.
- Make sure the water you are cooking the pasta in is salted as some of the flavor comes from it.
- Don't use pre-shredded cheese. You want if finely grated so it melts well. Pre-shredded has added ingredients that will just make it clump up.
- Add hot pasta immediately. You need to stir the hot pasta immediately into the egg mixture to help cook them. If they still aren't completely creamy, add back to the pot, but don't put it over heat.
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