ABOUT THE RECIPE
These three classic Roman pasta sauces, Amatriciana, Carbonara, and Cacio e Pepe, are built on simple ingredients and precise technique. Each sauce has its own identity, but they all rely on a few fundamentals: pasta water, guanciale, aged cheese, and timing.
While many versions of these dishes exist, these are faithful to the Roman tradition, with a few notes based on hands-on experience in professional and home kitchens alike.
Use the best ingredients you can find: real guanciale, good-quality pecorino romano, and bronze-cut pasta if available. For best results, follow the metric measurements and taste often. These sauces come together quickly, so prepare your mise en place in advance and trust your senses.
INGREDIENTS
For the Amatriciana
150 g guanciale, cut in thick slices (about 3 slices of 5 mm each)
500 g crushed tomatoes
a splash red wine vinegar
For the Carbonara
150 g guanciale, cut in thick slices (about 3 slices of 5 mm each)
2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg
100 g pecorino romano, finely grated
black pepper, optional
For the Cacio e Pepe
100 g pecorino romano, finely grated
black pepper, to taste
Pasta portions
Recommended pasta portion: 100 g per person
A note on measurements
We work with chefs from all around the world, which is why we include both imperial (cups/ounces) and metric (grams) measurements. To achieve the best results, we highly recommend using a kitchen scale and following the metric measurements when possible.
PREPARATION
Preparing the Amatriciana Sauce
Remove the skin (only the skin side!) from your guanciale. Heat up your pot and, when hot, throw the guanciale in and let it render until the fat bits get translucent and the meaty part gets brown. Add a splash of vinegar and let it go on medium-high until it evaporates and the bottom of the pot gets clear again.
Add the crushed tomatoes and let it simmer until it thickens up and gets a nice orangey color. Boil your pasta, dress it with the sauce and top it with some pecorino if you like it.
Preparing the Carbonara Sauce
Cut the guanciale into small cubes or into stripes and render it until it gets crunchy and translucent. Take it off the pan and switch off the stove.
Cook the pasta and in the meantime mix the eggs and pecorino until they reach a loose toothpaste consistency.
Drain your pasta one minute before done and finish cooking in the pan with the guanciale fat. Once fully cooked, transfer your pasta in the bowl of the egg mixture and top it with crunchy guanciale. If you want, you can add some black pepper. Enjoy!
Preparing the Cacio e Pepe Sauce
Heat up a pan and grind some black pepper. Let it toast for a minute and then add some pasta water to make it into a “pepper broth”.
Cook your pasta and in the meantime mix the grated pecorino with some pasta water until it reaches a toothpaste consistency.
Drain your pasta one minute before being done and finish cooking into the pepper broth. When done, slowly add the pecorino mixture and more pasta water if needed. If you want to make a milder flavor, use half pecorino and half Parmigiano Reggiano.
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