This quick carbonara-style pasta is one of those dishes that proves you don’t need much to make something incredible. It's pure soulfood for me.

Source: Adapted from "Emmi kocht einfach". Last accessed June 13, 2026.

Ingredients (Serves 2)#

• 200g spaghetti
• 75g ham cubes
• 2 eggs
• 40g Parmesan, finely grated
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Salt

Steps#

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente.
2. Cook the ham cubes in a pan over medium heat until golden.
3. In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, parmesan, and a generous amount of black pepper.
4. Reserve some pasta water, then drain the pasta.
5. Add the hot pasta to the pan with the ham and toss to coat.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the egg mixture.
7. Add small amounts of pasta water while tossing continuously until a silky, creamy sauce forms.
8. Serve immediately with extra parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.

Notes#

• The key is mixing the eggs off the heat to prevent scrambling.
• This version uses whole eggs instead of just yolks, ham cubes instead of guanciale, and parmesan instead of pecorino - it still turns out great