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If I could dive face first into this spicy bucatini carbonara, I would. This recipe has just a few ingredients like eggs, Pecorino Romano, and Calabrian chili, but it tastes like it came straight from an upscale Italian restaurant. And it takes less than 30 minutes to make! Pop a bottle of wine and invite some friends over for dinner. It’s pasta night!

A brown bowl of spicy bucatini carbonara on a tan counter next to glasses of red wine and brown bowls of parmesan, red pepper flakes, and Calabrian chili.

Last weekend, we had some friends over for a little pasta night situation. I made a huge batch of carbonara, poured some wine, and we slurped noodles late into the night. And honestly? It was a perfect casual night at home with friends. Completely elite, imo.

Pasta has been my go-to dinner party staple since I was in culinary school. Not just because everyone loves pasta (duh) but also because all you have to do is whip up a batch of pesto stuffed garlic bread and a simple green salad with sherry shallot dressing and you have a super easy but elegant dinner for guests.

And if you need a little pasta recipe to inspire your next get together, you definitely need to know about this carbonara! Here’s a few highlights.

  • This recipe is inspired by traditional carbonara but has a bit of heat thanks to Calabrian chili.
  • The pasta is spicy, cheesy and uber creamy but has absolutely no cream in it. (More on this later!)
  • You can make a big batch for a dinner party or a small batch for date night at home.
  • The carbonara comes together in less than 20 minutes. Truly so easy!

Two key ingredients

Bucatini on a tan counter.
A brown bowl and jar of Calabrian peppers on a tan counter.

For this recipe, you’ll need a couple of special ingredients – bucatini and Calabrian peppers. Bucatini is like a thicker spaghetti with a hole running through the center which picks up lots of creamy, cheesy sauce! And Calabrian chilis come from Southern Italy, notably, Calabria. (Who would’ve thought, right?) They have a lightly spicy, smoky, fruity flavor.

If you can find it, bronze-cut bucatini is 100% the way to go. Bronze is sticky, so when the pasta is pushed through the mold, it comes out with a rougher, coarser texture. That texture is key for soaking up the most amount of sauce.

Other ingredients & substitutions

A pot of pasta next to brown bowls of pancetta, eggs, salt, pepper, chilis, and parmesan, on a tan counter.

To make this recipe, you will need some kind of pork. Guanciale is traditional in carbonara, but I find that pancetta is much easier to find. Use whatever you have! You will also need eggs, Pecorino Romano, Morton’s Kosher salt, freshly-ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes.

Let’s make this pasta

A white pot of pancetta on a tan counter next to white and brown bowls of parmesan, chilis, eggs, salt, and pepper.
Sauté the pork in a large skillet until it’s gorgeous and crispy. Now, and this is very important (!), remove the pan from the heat and let it cool until it’s warm but not hot.
Two steps to boiling pasta. In photo 1, spaghetti is in a white pot of water on a tan counter next to brown bowls of parmesan, egg yolks, and chilis. In photo 2, a hand is using a. mug to scoop water from the pot.
While the pork is cooking, bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Boil the bucatini just until it’s al dente. Before you drain the pasta, save some of the starchy water!
Three steps to making carbonara sauce. In photo 1, a white bowl has eggs, cheese, chilis, and pepper on a tan counter next to brown bowls of pepper, cheese, and pasta. In photo 2, a hand is whisking the sauce. In photo 3, a hand is using a spoon to pour oil into the sauce.
Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino Romano, Calabrian chilis, & lots of black pepper. Then, whisk a bit of the warm pork grease into the egg mixture. This will help temper the eggs!
A white pot of bucatini with sauce is on a tan counter next to brown bowls of salt, pepper, cheese, and chilis.
Add the bucatini, egg mixture, & starchy water to the pan with the pancetta.
A white pot of spicy bucatini carbonara on a tan counter next to brown bowls of cheese, chilis, salt, and pepper.
Stir quickly until the sauce is glossy and the consistency of heavy cream.

The secret to amazing carbonara is to mix the pasta and sauce together off of the heat. If the pan is too hot, the egg mixture will scramble. You want the skillet to be warm to the touch – it shouldn’t burn you when you touch it. And don’t worry about the raw eggs. The residual heat from the pan and pasta will turn the eggs into a gorgeous, glossy sauce!

Brown bowls of spicy bucatini alla carbonara on a tan counter next to white and brown bowls of chilis, pepper, and parmesan.

Refrigerating leftovers

Carbonara is definitely one of those recipes that is best fresh. The sauce gets a bit lumpy in the fridge and congeals as it sits. But, I totally understand that leftovers are a thing and I’m not about wasting food. So if you do have leftovers, just place them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days!

Reheating tips

Again, carbonara is never as good reheated as it is fresh. So the way you reheat it makes a difference! Of course, you can always microwave the pasta with a splash of water for 1-2 minutes if you’re bringing it to work or something. The pasta will just be a bit dry.

But the way I like to reheat carbonara is to refrigerate some of the extra starchy pasta water. Then, place the carbonara in a pan with a splash of the water – just enough to moisten the pasta. Cook it over very low heat, stirring often, until the pasta hot and creamy. Just don’t cook it too long or the bucatini will overcook!

A skillet of spicy bucatini carbonara on a tan background next to glasses of red wine and brown bowls of salt, pepper, chilis, and cheese.

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The Creamiest Spicy Bucatini Carbonara

Yield: 4 big servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
If I could dive face first into this spicy bucatini carbonara, I would. This recipe has just a few ingredients like eggs, Pecorino Romano, and Calabrian chili, but it tastes like it came straight from an upscale Italian restaurant. And it takes less than 30 minutes to make! Pop a bottle of wine and invite some friends over for dinner. It's pasta night!
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Ingredients

  • 226 grams guanciale or pancetta, diced (8 ounces)
  • 454 grams bucatini (1 pound)
  • 4 egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 whole egg, room temperature
  • 100 grams grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for serving (1 cup)
  • 30 grams finely chopped Calabrian chilis or paste (2 Tablespoons)
  • Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
  • Red pepper flakes, for serving

Equipment

Instructions 

  • Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the guanciale or pancetta and cook the pork, stirring every once in a while until it's crispy and the fat has rendered. Remove the skillet from the heat and let it cool until the skillet is warm to the touch.
  • Next, bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. It should be as salty as the sea. Cook the bucatini according to the package directions, stirring occasionally, just until it's al dente. Once the pasta is al dente, use a mug or heat-proof liquid measuring cup to reserve at least 1 cup (240 milliliters) of the starchy pasta water. Then, drain the pasta.
  • While the pasta is boiling, combine the egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino Romano, Calabrian chili, and a generous amount of black pepper in a medium bowl. Whisk until smooth. Then, spoon about 2 Tablespoons of the rendered pork fat into the egg mixture, whisking constantly, to temper the eggs.
  • Once the pasta is finished cooking, add it to the skillet with the pork. (At this point, the skillet should be warm but not hot. If the skillet is hot, mix the pasta in a bowl instead.) Add the egg mixture along with about 1/3 cup of the reserved pasta water. Stir the pasta quickly and constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. Add more pasta water as needed until the sauce is smooth and the consistency of heavy cream.
  • Taste the pasta and add more salt if needed. Garnish the carbonara with red pepper flakes, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper, to taste. Enjoy!

Notes

Calabrian chilis usually come chopped in a jar or as a paste. I use the chopped chilis and slice them even finer for a smoother texture.
If you’re sensitive to spice, you can always add 1 Tablespoon of chilis and add more to taste. Or, feel free to add more if you like things extra spicy. The spice level can differ from brand-to-brand so adjust according to what you like!
Bring the eggs to room temperature before separating them for a super smooth sauce. If you forget to this step, just place your eggs in some warm (not hot!) water for 10-15 minutes.
Feel free to use spaghetti and Parmesan instead of bucatini and Pecorino Romano. Or, try a mix of Parmesan & Pecorino!
Don’t add salt to the sauce when you’re whisking it up. Between the pork fat, pasta water, and cheese, the sauce is usually plenty salty on its own. You can always add salt at the end if needed!
Toss the pasta together quickly so the sauce melds together with the pork fat and starchy water. If it’s not mixing together well with a wood spoon, try tongs instead.
If the sauce is too thin, place the pot on the stove over the lowest heat possible. Stir the pasta constantly until the sauce thickens up a bit.
This recipe can be doubled for a crowd. Or, halve the recipe for two!
Cuisine: Italian
Course: Main Course
Author: Sara Lynn Hunt Broka
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 434kcal, Carbohydrates: 35.3g, Protein: 22.8g, Fat: 20.8g, Saturated Fat: 11.2g, Cholesterol: 309mg, Sodium: 636mg, Potassium: 85mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1.8g, Calcium: 286mg, Iron: 2mg
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Originally posted on February 17, 2021.