Marco Quintili’s Pizza Carbonara with Marinated Egg, Pecorino Romano Cream and Italian Guanciale

For pasta lovers around the world, carbonara – that signature Roman dish with guanciale (pork jowls or cheeks), Pecorino Romano cheese and egg over a base of al dente spaghetti – is one of the most celebrated recipes. It even has its own day: April 6th. And just when we thought carbonara couldn’t get any better, celebrated chef Marco Quintili has a recipe to share, combining the classic pasta dish with pizza. At his iQuintili restaurants in Rome and Naples, the Carbonara Pizza is one of the most popular on the menu, and he’s offered to share some valuable tips with us on how to make it at home.

Marco’s Carbonara Pizza is an ode to Rome and the signature flavour and textures of one of its most famous dishes, and using high-quality ingredients is absolutely fundamental. He prefers guanciale from the Lucania region of Italy (sourced from wild pigs), fresh buffalo mozzarella and Pecorino Romano, and, of course, fresh eggs. Taking it a step further, Marco puts the eggs through a special marinating process that includes mixing the yolk with sugar and salt and letting the mixture rest for two or three days (depending on the size of the eggs used). He then grates the final product over the pizza. As for the distinctive peppery bite, Marco prefers Cuvée pepper, a blend of ground spices, Tasmanian mountain pepper and cubeb pepper. 

Pasta alla carbonara is a delicious and decadent dish, but it can also be on the heavy side. Marco’s carbonara pizza, on the other hand, is lighter and low on dairy, which means you can indulge without feeling like you’ve overdone it. Creamy, cheesy, crunchy, and with just a hint of pepper, in our humble opinion, this pizza is a choice way to celebrate Carbonara Day.


Chef's hat icon Difficulty

People icon Servings

Two 12-inch (30-centimetre) pizzas

Time icon Prep Time

4 hours

(not including the egg marinating time)
Fuel type icon Cook Time

7 minutes, 30 seconds

By Marco Quintili

Marco Quintili’s Pizza Carbonara with Marinated Egg, Pecorino Romano Cream and Italian Guanciale
Bulb icon

Note

This recipe is suitable for different types of dough, but we’re fans of our classic pizza dough. While not overly complicated, this pizza does take some planning ahead: be sure to marinate your egg about 72 hours in advance, and prepare your dough about 4 hours before cooking. If you can’t find guanciale then pancetta or bacon is a good substitute, and if you’re not a huge fan of sheep's cheese, try using Parmigiano Reggiano instead. (Sure, it’s not a “true” carbonara without guanciale or Pecorino, but it will still be super tasty.)



1: In a small bowl, mix the sugar and salt together; place half of the mixture in a container.

Separate the egg yolk from the white and carefully place the yolk in the container.

2: Cover the egg yolk with the remaining sugar and salt.

Let the egg marinate at room temperature for 2 to 3 days, depending on the size of the egg. 

Tip: you will know the egg is ready when it has reached a solid consistency.

3: Pour the cream into a saucepan over medium heat and cook until it reaches 90 °C (194 °F), using a probe thermometer to gauge the temperature, about 4 minutes.

4: Remove from heat and add the grated Pecorino Romano a little at a time, stirring until you have a creamy consistency.

5: Fire up your Ooni, aiming for a temperature between 380 °C to 390 °C (716 °F to 734 °F) in the centre of the baking stone.

Measure the temperature quickly, accurately and from a safe distance using an infrared thermometer.

6: Cut the guanciale into 10 equal slices and brown them in a pan over low heat for 7 minutes.

When crispy, remove them from the stovetop, place on a plate and set aside.

7: Take your egg out of the container, rinse under cold water to remove the sugar and salt, and pat dry with a kitchen towel.

Grate it into a small bowl. Set aside.

8: On a lightly-floured surface, roll out a dough ball by pushing the air with your fingers from the centre towards the edges to form a disc of about 12 inches (30 centimetres).

9: Cover the surface of your pizza with a spoonful of Pecorino cream and half of the mozzarella, leaving about 1 inch (2 ½ centimetre) to allow the crust to form.

10: Dust the pizza peel with a little semolina, place the pizza on top and launch into the oven; cook for 90 seconds, turning the pizza with a peel every 20 seconds or so to ensure an even bake.

11: Take the pizza out of the oven, garnish with 3 to 4 fresh basil leaves, half of the crispy guanciale, more Pecorino cream, a sprinkling of pepper, half of the grated marinated egg and a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil.

12: Repeat these steps with the remaining dough ball.

Slice, serve and enjoy!

Marco Quintili

Campania, Italy-born pizza chef Marco Quintili (@marco.quintiliofficial) has always been passionate about baking. Many have called him "a volcano of ideas.” His iQuintilli pizzerias in Rome and Naples are known for diverse and irresistible flavour combinations and high-quality ingredients. 
  • Two 250-gram dough balls

For the marinated egg:

  • 100 grams granulated sugar (or any white, coarse sugar)
  • 100 grams fine sea salt
  • 1 egg

For the Pecorino Romano cream:

  • 100 grams double cream
  • 50 grams Pecorino Romano, grated

For the pizza:

  • 50 grams guanciale (you can also substitute pancetta or bacon), cut into 10 thin slices ¼ inch (½ centimetre) thick
  • 80 to 100 grams buffalo mozzarella
  • Semolina or “00” flour, for dusting
  • 6 to 8 basil leaves
  • Cuvée pepper blend, to taste (freshly ground black pepper also works)
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, to taste