Spaghetti Carbonara

Ingredients

• 320 g Spaghetti
• 150 g Guanciale
• 4 whole Egg yolk
• 60 g Pecorino romano
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 1 pinch Salt

Steps

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it lightly — the pecorino and guanciale are already salty, so go easy.
2. Remove the rind from the guanciale and cut it into strips about 1 cm thick.
3. Place them in a cold non-stick pan with no oil and set over medium-low heat, letting the fat render slowly until the guanciale is golden and crisp, about 7–8 minutes.
4. Turn off the heat and keep the rendered fat in the pan.
5. Meanwhile, drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook until al dente.
6. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, the grated pecorino romano and an abundant amount of freshly ground black pepper to form a thick paste.
7. Loosen the egg-and-pecorino mixture with a couple of ladles of hot starchy pasta water, whisking until it becomes a smooth, pourable cream.
8. Drain the spaghetti, keeping a cup of the cooking water, and tip the pasta into the pan with the guanciale; toss for a few seconds off the heat to coat it in the fat.
9. Pour the egg-and-pecorino cream over the pasta and stir vigorously off the heat, adding a splash of warm pasta water if needed, until the sauce turns glossy and clings to every strand — never return it to the flame or the yolks will scramble.
10. Serve at once in warmed bowls, topping each portion with the crisp guanciale, a little extra pecorino and a final grind of black pepper.

Tips

• The creaminess is pure emulsion, not cream: keep the pan off the heat when the yolks go in, and use the hot starchy pasta water to bring the sauce together. If it looks dry, add a splash more; if it looks loose, let the residual heat thicken it as you toss.