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This easy Carbonara Pastina recipe with crispy pancetta and deliciously cured egg yolks is comfort pasta in a bowl! I know I’m using Pancetta 🥓 in this pasta recipe but it is only because I cannot find guanciale here. If you can find it where you live, that is what you should be using!
Why You’ll Love Carbonara Pastina
Carbonara is such a classic dish for a reason. Once you make this easy pastina recipe it will become a go-to weeknight recipe because it’s so quick, easy and delicious! Other than waiting on the cured the yolks, it comes together in about 30 minutes and the whole family will be in love ♥️
How To Prepare
- Cure Egg Yolks
- 🥚Cover 2 to 4 egg yolks in tamari and a bit of mirin. Cure in the fridge for 4 hours.
- Render the Pancetta
- 🥓Add the pancetta (use guanciale if you can find it where you live) to a cold pan and turn heat on to medium low. Let the fat render and the pancetta crisp up. Remove the pancetta from the pan and save the fat.
- Prepare the Egg Mixture
- 🧀 Add the pecorino to a bowl with the egg, egg yolks, the rendered fat and lots of black pepper. Whisk.
- Make the Carbonara Pastina
- 🔥 Add the acini di pepe to a skillet with some black pepper and let it get a bit golden on medium heat.
- 🥣 Add your stock to a small pot and heat. Slowly add the hot stock, ½ cup a time mixing well. Once it’s al dente, add about 2 tbsp of the broth to the egg mixture to temper it.
- ⊔ Add the egg to the pan with the pastina, mix it really well on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Turn heat off and let it continue to cook/thicken mixing often. Add salt to taste, keep in mind you’ll be adding the pancetta which is salty, cured yolk and more cheese on top.
- 🍽️ Serve the Carbonara Pastina with the pancetta, more pecorino, black pepper, cured egg yolk and the salsa macha (optional).
🫶 And that is it, subscribe for more!
Substitutions and Variations
Substitutions
- For this Carbonara Pasta recipe, if you can find guanciale where you live you should use that instead of pancetta. In a bind, you can even use bacon instead.
- I love pastina, but you can swap that out for whichever pasta you have on hand.
- Any Italian cheese can be used in place of pecorino romano, so if you have a favorite, feel free to use your inner chef and experiment!
- If you don’t want to make salsa macha, chili crisps are a great substitute.
Variations
- Protein Carbonara Variation: Grill up chicken and add it to the top of this carbonara for some extra protein.
- Non-spicy Variation: Skip the salsa macha if you aren’t a fan of spice.
- Vegetarian Variation: Swap the pancetta out for mushrooms to make it an easy vegetarian pastina recipe variation!
🔥Chef Nadia’s Tip🔥
- Use freshly grated cheese. Pre-shredded cheeses have anti-caking agents in them so that the cheese doesn’t stick together. While this is great for some things, if you are melting the cheese it makes it grainy and it won’t be the same.
- Always temper your egg yolk with the pasta water BEFORE you add it to the pasta so you don’t accidentally scramble it.
- Make sure you only add the stock one cup at a time to your Carbonara Pastina so it absorbs better.
The Perfect Pairings
🍷 Drinks: A crisp dry white wine like a Pinot Grigio or a Sauvignon Blanc will cut through the richness and complement the creamy texture of the Carbonara Pastina very well.
🥗 Appetizers and Sides: A great appetizer for this one is a Tomatoes and Burrata. A light Arugula Fennel Salad or Balsamic Green Beans would be a great fresh side.
🍮Dessert: Panna Cotta with Berries has a delicate texture that will complement the rich texture of the dinner.
Appetizers
Tomatoes and Burrata
Sides
Arugula Fennel Salad
Sides
Balsamic Green Beans
Sweets
Berry Panna Cotta
Common Questions about Carbonara Pastina
No, this does not reheat well. You can do it and it won’t be awful, but it definitely loses it’s flavor and it’s dry.
This is a dish that is best enjoyed immediately after you have finished making it.
Carbonara Pastina
Equipment
- 1 small bowl for the cured eggs
- 1 Skillet
- 1 medium bowl
- 1 small pot for heating the broth
Ingredients
Cured Yolks
- 2-4 egg yolks
Carbonara Pastina
- 4 oz pancetta, or guanciale (preferable) if you can find it
- ¾ cup pecorino romano, + more for topping
- 1 whole egg
- 2 egg yolks
- Lots of black pepper
- 1 cup acini di pepe
- 4½-5 cups chicken or vegetable stock, hot
- Salsa macha, salsa macha optional
Instructions
Cure Egg Yolks
- Cover 2 to 4 egg yolks in tamari and a bit of mirin. Cure in the fridge for 4 hours.
Carbonara Pastina
- Add the pancetta to a cold pan and turn heat on to medium low. Let the fat render and the pancetta crisp up. Remove the pancetta from the pan and save the fat.
- Add the pecorino to a bowl with the egg, egg yolks, the rendered fat and lots of black pepper. Whisk.
- Add the acini di pepe to a skillet with some black pepper and let it get a bit golden on medium heat.
- Add your stock to a small pot and heat. Slowly add the hot stock, ½ cup a time mixing well. Once it's al dente, add about 2 tbsp of the broth to the egg mixture to temper it.
- Add the egg to the pan, mix it really well on low heat for 1-2 minutes. Turn heat off and let it continue to cook/thicken mixing often. Add salt to taste, keep in mind you'll be adding the pancetta which is salty, cured yolk and more cheese on top.
- Serve with the pancetta, more pecorino, black pepper, cured yolk and the salsa macha.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
