Spaghetti carbonara

Ingredients

Quantities for 2 servings.

• 200 g Spaghetti
• 100 g Guanciale, cut into short strips; pancetta works
• 3 piece Egg yolks
• 1 piece Whole egg
• 60 g Pecorino romano, finely grated
• 1 tsp Black pepper, coarsely ground
• to taste Salt for the water

Method

1. Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it properly — this is the only salt in the dish, since the cheese and the guanciale bring their own.
2. Put the guanciale into a cold pan and turn the heat to medium. The fat should render gradually and the pieces turn golden and crisp at the edges, about 6 to 8 minutes.
3. While the fat renders, beat the yolks, the whole egg, the grated pecorino and the pepper into a thick paste. Let it sit at room temperature so it does not seize when it meets hot pasta.
4. Cook the spaghetti a minute short of the packet time. Before draining, save a cup of the cooking water — the sauce will not come together without it.
5. Take the pan off the heat, add the pasta and toss it through the fat. Let the pan cool for twenty seconds — it should be warm, not hot.
6. Pour in the egg mixture and stir hard, adding pasta water a spoonful at a time until the sauce turns glossy and coats every strand. Serve immediately.