Rome & Lazio
Carbonara
Carbonara, 9 ways
A cream made from just egg, cheese, pork fat, and black pepper. The dividing line is where you bring the egg up to temperature, and it splits cooks into three schools: over direct heat, in a bain-marie, or off the heat with residual heat.
Official videos by Tomomi Ogura
A representative video and official arrangements with different ingredients or pasta. Check the original videos for the method.
Italian chef teaches "Spaghetti Carbonara with boiled whitebait and lemon" [Italian professional
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗Italian chef teaches "Bamboo shoot carbonara" [Italian professional training course vol.151]
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗Italian chef teaches "Butterbur Carbonara" [Italian Professional Training Course vol.150]
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗Italian chef teaches "Tianjin sweet chestnut carbonara" [Italian professional training course vol
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗White Asparagus Carbonara
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗Young Corn Carbonara
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗"Broad Bean Carbonara" from a Michelin 1-star Italian restaurant [Italian Professional Training C
Watch the official video on YouTube ↗Dishes in this family
Each dish keeps its own guide; compare the ingredient and preparation differences here.
Tarako CarbonaraA Japanese-style carbonara that layers the salinity of tarako with egg richness. Unlike classic tarako spaghetti, egg white is tossed into the sauce and a yolk is broken over the finished pasta.Read this dish →
Zucchini CarbonaraSpaghetti with seared courgette batons and a yolk-and-Pecorino cream.Read this dish →
Seafood CarbonaraShellfish liquor is mixed with eggs, Grana and cream to coat fresh tagliolini and briefly seared baby squid.Read this dish →Cook this pasta on video
Watch the creators’ original videos for the method and finish.
Ryuji40 Years Into My Carbonara Journey, This Is Undoubtedly the Best One YetWatch on YouTube ↗
RyujiForget Every Carbonara You've Had [Masterpiece Bacon-Free Carbonara]Watch on YouTube ↗
FabioA Chef Explores the World of Carbonara: 3-Way Comparison, for Every Pasta LoverWatch on YouTube ↗
FabioA Chef's Improvised Staff-Meal Carbonara: Rich and Silky PerfectionWatch on YouTube ↗
FabioThe One-Pan Pasta I Love Most [Carbonara]: One Skillet Was All I NeededWatch on YouTube ↗
Fabio[Tested] Same Ingredients — Why Carbonara Still Fails. A Chef's Technique to Avoid ItWatch on YouTube ↗
George YoshidaItaly May Be Angry, but This Is How I Make Carbonara for a Japanese SummerWatch on YouTube ↗
Choose from the cooks’ recipes
Each card leads to its source video or recipe page. You can also load a style straight into the builder
RyujiRecipe developer Source verified
1 whole egg + 30g grated cheese, stirred on low direct heat
- Specifies L-size eggs precisely — fine-grained quantities aimed at home reproducibility
- A two-step approach: cool the pan after sautéing the base before adding the egg mixture
- Same creator has three lineages: this traditional-leaning 'ultimate' (shiko) version, a 'masterpiece' version (40g cheddar + MSG), and a 'kyomu-bonara' (nihilist carbonara) version (pizza cheese + bouillon granules)
FabioItalian cook (freelance chef; YouTube channel) Partly unverified
3 egg yolks, bowl bain-marie + hand mixer up to 65°C
- Takes the position that 'adding hot water won't set the egg' — temperature is managed with a bain-marie and a hand mixer (the source says only that it is hard to get wrong)
- A tool-based way to reproduce the technique of a famous Roman chef (Luciano Monosilio)
- Source is a third-party transcript site (howtocook.jp), so it hasn't yet been cross-checked against the original video
References: [1]
Tomomi OguraOwner-chef of Regalo in Sangubashi Partly unverified
1 yolk + an equal weight of Parmigiano, tossed off the heat
- A clear ratio rule: Parmigiano at 'equal weight to the egg yolk'
- Uses a small amount of cream, unlike the 'no cream, ever' purism seen abroad
- His book (Japanese title, roughly 'Minimal Best Pasta from a One-Star Italian') has a chapter on '5 major elements, sub elements, and aroma elements' (contents not yet confirmed)
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In the chef’s words
- It's better to use fresh fava beans source
2–3 yolks; pasta tossed into the egg bowl, residual heat
- States in both the book and an interview that mixing cooled pasta water into the egg mixture beforehand is a lump-avoidance trick
- Explicitly allows pancetta/bacon and Parmigiano/grated cheese to be interchangeable — a home-friendly stance
- The restaurant name 'Ponte Carbo' comes from charcoal cooking, not from carbonara (per Hitosara's editorial introduction; in the same piece he says he loves carbonara enough to have named his dog Carbo)
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In the chef’s words
- In the recipe from my book, I mix cooled pasta water into the egg mixture beforehand. A lot of people fail at carbonara because the egg gets overcooked and goes grainy, so pre-loosening the egg this way to avoid failure lets you make an authentic carbonara without fail source
- Pre-mixing grated cheese and egg with water to make the sauce reduces the chance of lumps source
Source is a recipe page (no video)
Yoshimi HidakaOwner-chef of Ristorante ACQUA PAZZA in Minami-Aoyama Partly unverified
2 whole eggs whipped for air, heat toggled on and off
- A distinctive approach of whipping the whole eggs to incorporate air and get creaminess without cream
- The explicit instruction to repeatedly lift the pan off and put it back on the heat
- Verbalizes the boiling basics — water volume, 1% salt, and a needle-thin core — in the general notes
Source is a recipe page (no video)
Tsutomu OchiaiOwner-chef of La Bettola da Ochiai in Ginza, Tokyo; honorary chairman of the Associazione Italiana Cucina Italiana in Japan Partly unverified
2 whole eggs + 2 yolks, off the heat 'just before silky'
- Pins the single cause of failure on heat control, and factors in the residual-heat cooking that happens while plating
- A mixed composition of 2 whole eggs + 2 yolks (per serving: 1 whole egg + 1 yolk)
- Also publishes an 'all-whole-egg carbonara' with no whites discarded in a different book
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In the chef’s words
- Taking it off the heat just before it turns silky lets residual heat finish it while plating, giving just the right consistency source
- The reason people fail at carbonara is heat control. The trick is putting the egg mixture in while alternately heating and removing the pan to cool the pan's temperature (residual heat) source
Vincenzo's PlateItalian-born, Sydney-based YouTube channel Source verified
3 yolks + 1 whole egg, combined over the pot in the steam
- A ratio rule: 'at least 30g Pecorino per 100g pasta — never use less'
- Even suggests using the 3 leftover egg whites for amaretti
- Brands himself as a champion of authentic Roman style, calling himself the instigator of a 'carbonara revolution'
References: [1]
Source is a recipe page (no video)
Pasta GrammarA husband-and-wife channel: Eva, from Calabria, Italy, and Harper, from the US Partly unverified
4 egg yolks, tossed in a bowl by the hot pasta's heat alone
- Cuts the salt in the boiling water to about half the usual amount — the opposite adjustment from many other chefs
- Introduces the traditional idea that 'hot pasta pasteurizes the eggs' while also offering a bain-marie alternative
- Holds both a purist stance (cream or peas make it inauthentic) and a historical-relativist one side by side
References: [1]
Source is a recipe page (no video)
Serious Eats (Daniel Gritzer)US food media outlet; recipe by Editorial Director Daniel Gritzer Partly unverified
2 whole eggs + 6 yolks, foolproof double boiler over the pot
- Explains in writing why Pecorino alone is too assertive, and splits it 50:50 with Parmigiano
- Treats the equipment constraint — 'a metal bowl whose bottom doesn't touch the water when set on the pot' — as a prerequisite for reproducibility
- Written by Daniel Gritzer; J. Kenji López-Alt's video on the same subject is a separate piece
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In the chef’s words
- This foolproof recipe for silky, guanciale- and cheese-sauced spaghetti carbonara uses a double boiler to prevent egg yolks from curdling. source
- Choosing a 50/50 mix of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano-Reggiano delivers that essential Roman flavor without making the pasta taste excessively salty or sharp. source
Compared on 10 axes
Figures are transcribed as written in each video or recipe page
| AXIS | Ryuji | Fabio | Tomomi Ogura | Chef Ropia (Akifumi Kobayashi) | Yoshimi Hidaka | Tsutomu Ochiai | Vincenzo's Plate | Pasta Grammar | Serious Eats (Daniel Gritzer) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasta, portion, and boiling | 1.7–2mm, 100g, 1 min under package time | 2.2mm, 70g | 1.9mm, 60g, 10 min | 100g, 30 sec under package time (restaurant uses 1.6mm bronze-die) | 1.6mm, 160g for 2, 1–2 min under package time | 1.4mm, 140g for 2, 1 min under package time | 300g thick spaghetti, 13 min | 340g rigatoni or spaghetti | 450g spaghetti for 4 |
| Salt in the pasta water | 1% of the water | 1.5% of the water | 1.5% of the water | about 2% of the water | 1% of the water | 1.5% (2.5 tbsp in 3L water) | 1/2 tbsp rock salt (% unknown) | about half the usual amount | kept light (no % given) |
| Water volume | not stated | not stated | not stated | not stated | 10x the noodle weight or more | 3L for 2 servings | a large pot (amount unspecified) | a large pot (amount unspecified) | a pot a bowl can rest on |
| Pork (rendering the fat) | 40g bacon (cut into strips) + garlic and dried chili | 45g guanciale, large cubes, cooked until crisp | Guanciale, thin-sliced, laid out and seared | 30g pancetta + 20g olive oil, started cold, then low heat | 60g thin-sliced bacon, cooked crisp with no oil | 80g bacon, cooked slowly until crisp, then deglaze the fond with water | 200g thin-sliced guanciale, medium-low heat | 125g guanciale, 1.3cm cubes, medium heat 4–6 min | 85g diced guanciale + olive oil, medium heat 7 min |
| Egg composition | 1 whole egg (L-size) | 3 egg yolks | 1 egg yolk | 2–3 egg yolks | 2 whole eggs (whipped) | 2 whole eggs + 2 yolks (2 servings) | 3 yolks + 1 whole egg | 4 egg yolks (add 1 egg white for a lighter version) | 2 whole eggs + 6 yolks (4 servings) |
| Cheese | 30g grated cheese | 10g Grana Padano + 5g Pecorino (plus finishing) | Parmigiano (equal weight to the yolk) | 30g Parmigiano (grated cheese OK) | 2–3 tbsp Parmesan | 25g grated cheese / 30g Parmigiano | 90g Pecorino (at least 30g per 100g pasta) | 55g Pecorino plus finishing | 25g Pecorino + 25g Parmigiano (50:50) |
| Emulsification method | Direct heat, low, constant stirring | Bowl bain-marie + hand mixer | Tossed in the pan off the heat | Pasta moved into a bowl of egg mixture and tossed | Direct heat, low | Direct heat, medium, with a rubber spatula | Steam heat, holding the pan over the pot | In a bowl using only the pasta's own heat | Double boiler (metal bowl set over the boiling water) |
| Heat and temperature | Cool the pan after sautéing the base, then fixed low heat | Bain-marie to about 65°C | Egg mixture never touches direct heat | Egg mixture kept off the heat, uses residual heat | Repeatedly lift off and return to the heat | Repeatedly on and off the heat, taken off just before it turns silky | Indirect heat, never over direct heat | No stovetop heat used (bain-marie if worried) | Indirect heat, bain-marie |
| Finishing | 2 tsp olive oil, black pepper | Pecorino, black pepper | Black pepper (with fava beans) | Cheese, black pepper | Black pepper | Finished with residual heat, bacon placed on top | Pecorino, guanciale, black pepper | Black pepper, Pecorino | Cheese, black pepper, olive oil |
| Total time | about 15 min | about 20 min | about 20 min | about 20 min | about 10 min | about 20 min | about 25 min | about 20 min | about 30 min |
| Source check | Source verified | Partly unverified | Partly unverified | Source verified | Partly unverified | Partly unverified | Source verified | Partly unverified | Partly unverified |
Ryuji 1 whole egg + 30g grated cheese, stirred on low direct heat
- Pasta, portion, and boiling
- 1.7–2mm, 100g, 1 min under package time
- Salt in the pasta water
- 1% of the water
- Water volume
- not stated
- Pork (rendering the fat)
- 40g bacon (cut into strips) + garlic and dried chili
- Egg composition
- 1 whole egg (L-size)
- Cheese
- 30g grated cheese
- Emulsification method
- Direct heat, low, constant stirring
- Heat and temperature
- Cool the pan after sautéing the base, then fixed low heat
- Finishing
- 2 tsp olive oil, black pepper
- Total time
- about 15 min
- Source
- Source verified
Fabio 3 egg yolks, bowl bain-marie + hand mixer up to 65°C
- Pasta, portion, and boiling
- 2.2mm, 70g
- Salt in the pasta water
- 1.5% of the water
- Water volume
- not stated
- Pork (rendering the fat)
- 45g guanciale, large cubes, cooked until crisp
- Egg composition
- 3 egg yolks
- Cheese
- 10g Grana Padano + 5g Pecorino (plus finishing)
- Emulsification method
- Bowl bain-marie + hand mixer
- Heat and temperature
- Bain-marie to about 65°C
- Finishing
- Pecorino, black pepper
- Total time
- about 20 min
- Source
- Partly unverified
Tomomi Ogura 1 yolk + an equal weight of Parmigiano, tossed off the heat
- Pasta, portion, and boiling
- 1.9mm, 60g, 10 min
- Salt in the pasta water
- 1.5% of the water
- Water volume
- not stated
- Pork (rendering the fat)
- Guanciale, thin-sliced, laid out and seared
- Egg composition
- 1 egg yolk
- Cheese
- Parmigiano (equal weight to the yolk)
- Emulsification method
- Tossed in the pan off the heat
- Heat and temperature
- Egg mixture never touches direct heat
- Finishing
- Black pepper (with fava beans)
- Total time
- about 20 min
- Source
- Partly unverified
Chef Ropia (Akifumi Kobayashi) 2–3 yolks; pasta tossed into the egg bowl, residual heat
- Pasta, portion, and boiling
- 100g, 30 sec under package time (restaurant uses 1.6mm bronze-die)
- Salt in the pasta water
- about 2% of the water
- Water volume
- not stated
- Pork (rendering the fat)
- 30g pancetta + 20g olive oil, started cold, then low heat
- Egg composition
- 2–3 egg yolks
- Cheese
- 30g Parmigiano (grated cheese OK)
- Emulsification method
- Pasta moved into a bowl of egg mixture and tossed
- Heat and temperature
- Egg mixture kept off the heat, uses residual heat
- Finishing
- Cheese, black pepper
- Total time
- about 20 min
- Source
- Source verified
Yoshimi Hidaka 2 whole eggs whipped for air, heat toggled on and off
- Pasta, portion, and boiling
- 1.6mm, 160g for 2, 1–2 min under package time
- Salt in the pasta water
- 1% of the water
- Water volume
- 10x the noodle weight or more
- Pork (rendering the fat)
- 60g thin-sliced bacon, cooked crisp with no oil
- Egg composition
- 2 whole eggs (whipped)
- Cheese
- 2–3 tbsp Parmesan
- Emulsification method
- Direct heat, low
- Heat and temperature
- Repeatedly lift off and return to the heat
- Finishing
- Black pepper
- Total time
- about 10 min
- Source
- Partly unverified
Tsutomu Ochiai 2 whole eggs + 2 yolks, off the heat 'just before silky'
- Pasta, portion, and boiling
- 1.4mm, 140g for 2, 1 min under package time
- Salt in the pasta water
- 1.5% (2.5 tbsp in 3L water)
- Water volume
- 3L for 2 servings
- Pork (rendering the fat)
- 80g bacon, cooked slowly until crisp, then deglaze the fond with water
- Egg composition
- 2 whole eggs + 2 yolks (2 servings)
- Cheese
- 25g grated cheese / 30g Parmigiano
- Emulsification method
- Direct heat, medium, with a rubber spatula
- Heat and temperature
- Repeatedly on and off the heat, taken off just before it turns silky
- Finishing
- Finished with residual heat, bacon placed on top
- Total time
- about 20 min
- Source
- Partly unverified
Vincenzo's Plate 3 yolks + 1 whole egg, combined over the pot in the steam
- Pasta, portion, and boiling
- 300g thick spaghetti, 13 min
- Salt in the pasta water
- 1/2 tbsp rock salt (% unknown)
- Water volume
- a large pot (amount unspecified)
- Pork (rendering the fat)
- 200g thin-sliced guanciale, medium-low heat
- Egg composition
- 3 yolks + 1 whole egg
- Cheese
- 90g Pecorino (at least 30g per 100g pasta)
- Emulsification method
- Steam heat, holding the pan over the pot
- Heat and temperature
- Indirect heat, never over direct heat
- Finishing
- Pecorino, guanciale, black pepper
- Total time
- about 25 min
- Source
- Source verified
Pasta Grammar 4 egg yolks, tossed in a bowl by the hot pasta's heat alone
- Pasta, portion, and boiling
- 340g rigatoni or spaghetti
- Salt in the pasta water
- about half the usual amount
- Water volume
- a large pot (amount unspecified)
- Pork (rendering the fat)
- 125g guanciale, 1.3cm cubes, medium heat 4–6 min
- Egg composition
- 4 egg yolks (add 1 egg white for a lighter version)
- Cheese
- 55g Pecorino plus finishing
- Emulsification method
- In a bowl using only the pasta's own heat
- Heat and temperature
- No stovetop heat used (bain-marie if worried)
- Finishing
- Black pepper, Pecorino
- Total time
- about 20 min
- Source
- Partly unverified
Serious Eats (Daniel Gritzer) 2 whole eggs + 6 yolks, foolproof double boiler over the pot
- Pasta, portion, and boiling
- 450g spaghetti for 4
- Salt in the pasta water
- kept light (no % given)
- Water volume
- a pot a bowl can rest on
- Pork (rendering the fat)
- 85g diced guanciale + olive oil, medium heat 7 min
- Egg composition
- 2 whole eggs + 6 yolks (4 servings)
- Cheese
- 25g Pecorino + 25g Parmigiano (50:50)
- Emulsification method
- Double boiler (metal bowl set over the boiling water)
- Heat and temperature
- Indirect heat, bain-marie
- Finishing
- Cheese, black pepper, olive oil
- Total time
- about 30 min
- Source
- Partly unverified
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1 
Pasta & boiling Brand, thickness, salt, water volume, cooking time
Pasta & boiling Brand, thickness, salt, water volume, cooking time 2 Base Fat and the main ingredient: rendering, infusing
3 
Sauce & emulsion Where you toss, heat level, how much pasta water
Sauce & emulsion Where you toss, heat level, how much pasta water 4 
Finish Cheese, pepper, finishing oil, plating
Finish Cheese, pepper, finishing oil, plating The map of schools: where the heat is managed
For Carbonara, the fork in the road is how you emulsify and heat
Toss over direct heat
The pan stays on the flame and your hands manage the temperature. Fast, but it takes feel.
Indirect heat
Bain-marie, steam, double boiler or a hand blender. Repeatable, at the cost of one extra step.
Off the heat
Emulsify after killing the flame, or in a bowl with only the pasta’s residual heat. Hard to get wrong.
Gear and ingredients for this dish
Purchase suggestions for preparing this dish, including tools and ingredients.
Articles about Carbonara
Egg White Sets First, Yolk Second — That Order Splits the Schools
In a carbonara egg mixture, the white starts to set first and the yolk second. That order is why whole-egg and yolks-only recipes come off the heat at different moments.
Ogura Times His Emulsion to the Last 10 Seconds
Chef profilesTomomi Ogura gives the garlic about 7 minutes over medium-low heat, then starts his emulsion 10 seconds before the pasta is done. His carbonara matches egg yolk to Parmigiano by weight, off the heat.
The Thinner the Pan, the Faster It Reacts — And Cools
What pro tool lists actually share isn't the material — it's how fast the heat rises and falls. A millimeter of thickness changes how easy carbonara's emulsion is to catch.
Tellicherry Is a Size Grade, Not a Variety
IngredientsCacio e pepe has just two elements asserting themselves — Pecorino's salt and pepper's bite — so grind coarseness alone changes the plate. Tellicherry is a size grade, not a variety.
Some Chefs Pull It 30 Seconds Early. Others Pull It at Half.
The box time appears to assume pasta eaten straight from the pot, though we could not find a manufacturer stating that outright. Skip the subtraction before a pan toss, and it turns soft.
Five Carbonaras, One Argument: Where the Egg Gets Warm
Carbonara splits over one question — where the egg comes up to temperature. Direct heat, bain-marie, or residual heat: five chefs, plus the tip line in Fabio's transcript about hot water and eggs.
Same Chef, Two Dishes: When Fine Grating Matters Less
Ogura mixes Parmigiano into raw egg for carbonara, where shred size decides whether it melts evenly. In his cacio e pepe, cheese is just grated over the top — so fineness matters far less.
Pour Boiling Water In and the Eggs Still Won't Set
Fabio eases eggs to about 65°C over a bain-marie with a hand mixer — the transcript's tip box says boiling water still won't scramble them. His aglio e olio chars the chili black instead.
He Says Don't Measure Precisely. Serious Eats Prints Grams.
On camera, Kenji López-Alt says measurements don't need to be precise. In print, Serious Eats gives grams and milliliters, and a bowl set clear of the water — same school, two levels of precision.
Half the Salt, No Stove: How This Couple Emulsifies Carbonara
Pasta Grammar's carbonara cuts pasta-water salt in half and emulsifies on residual pasta heat alone, no pan over the flame. Cacio e pepe rests off the heat three minutes before the cheese goes in.
The Egg Trick Behind Chef Ropia's Cream-Free Carbonara
Chef Ropia's carbonara never touches cream — egg and cheese alone create the emulsion. In his book, he thins the egg mixture with cooled pasta water first, which he says keeps it from going lumpy.
1,000-Plus Test Batches: Why Ryuji Cools the Pan Before Adding Egg
Ryuji sautés the bacon and garlic, then turns off the heat and lets the pan cool before adding the egg — a step he arrived at after testing the recipe more than 1,000 times.
Vincenzo's Plate Sets the Egg With Steam, Never Direct Heat
Vincenzo's Plate emulsifies both carbonara and cacio e pepe off direct heat, with the pan suspended over the pasta pot's steam. His 2026 cacio e pepe drops salt entirely.
It's Not Elbow Grease That Emulsifies Pasta Sauce
Emulsifying pasta sauce isn't about mixing harder. It happens only when starch, a safe temperature, and nonstop agitation all line up. Four schools split the work differently.
Pancetta's Fine, Salami's Fine — Bacon Is Named and Banned
Vincenzo's Plate allows pancetta or salami as a substitute in amatriciana but names bacon specifically as the one to avoid. Here's how guanciale differs, how chefs treat it, and how to buy it online.
Same Guanciale, Yet Chefs Use 19g to 67g per 100g of Pasta
Guanciale, pancetta, and bacon are all cured pork, but fat ratio and smoking split them apart. Serious Eats ranks them bacon, pancetta, guanciale — and guanciale use ranges 19g to 67g per 100g pasta.
When the Hand Blender Turns Heavy, Stop — Fabio's 65°C Carbonara
Fabio's carbonara aims at about 65°C, where egg yolk starts to set, yet no thermometer appears in the steps. The cue is a hand blender turning heavy over a bain-marie.
No Cream Is Common Ground Between Ryuji and Vincenzo's Plate
Ryuji's carbonara skips heavy cream, and so does Vincenzo's Plate — so "no cream" can't be the line between home cooks and tradition. The real split is ingredients, heat, and emulsion.
A Chimera Score of 100 Isn't a Warning
ReadsIn the Recipe Builder, a chimera score of 100 doesn't predict failure — it just means no reference video exists for that mix. What each step changes and how sharing and saving work.
The Chefs Who Nail Emulsification Never Use Direct Heat
Ogura's fava bean carbonara, Fabio's rich carbonara and Gritzer's carbonara all pull the egg off direct heat.
Why Some Chefs Salt the Pasta Water Less for Pecorino
Pecorino is salty sheep's-milk cheese; Parmigiano is milder cow's-milk. Some recipes leave the water unsalted so Pecorino carries the salt; others salt it heavily instead. Pick the cheese first.
Buy Pecorino as a Wedge: Why to Grate It Right Before Use
One Roman amatriciana uses 20g of Pecorino Romano DOP per 100g of pasta — the highest ratio we could confirm for the dish. Buying it as a wedge, in our view, keeps more of the aroma.
17g to 50g of Grated Cheese: The Three Axes Through Rome's Pastas
Cacio e pepe's grated cheese runs 17g to 50g per 100g of pasta, and Fabio adds 50g of cream cheese on top. Rome's three classics split along the same three axes: cheese, pork fat, emulsion.
Stopping the Egg at Around 65°C: Scales and Thermometers
Eyeball a portion of pasta and it can swing by several grams to a dozen-plus per serving (the editors' rough figure).
Bring the Pasta Water Along, or Don't
Moving pasta from pot to pan comes down to two tools. That how much pasta water rides along changes the finish is the editors' read, not a relationship our sources tested.
Fabio's Egg Mixture Hits 65°C — Two Cues, Temperature and Feel
Fabio's carbonara takes the egg mixture to around 65°C, and the transcript gives two cues: the temperature and the hand blender getting harder to turn. Ogura, Ryuji, and Fabio diverge on one dish.