Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Pasta · Italian classic.

Ingredients

• 320g Spaghetti
• 6 Egg Yolks
• As required Salt
• 150g Bacon
• 50g Pecorino
• As required Black Pepper

Method

1. Bring to a boil — Put a large saucepan of water on to boil. Finely chop the 100g pancetta, having first removed any rind.
2. Mix together — Finely grate 50g pecorino cheese and 50g parmesan and mix them together.
3. Season — Beat the 3 large eggs in a medium bowl and season with a little freshly grated black pepper.
4. Bring to a boil — Set everything aside. Add 1 tsp salt to the boiling water, add 350g spaghetti and when the water comes back to the boil, cook at a constant simmer, covered, for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).
5. Continue cooking — Squash 2 peeled plump garlic cloves with the blade of a knife, just to bruise it.
6. Fry — While the spaghetti is cooking, fry the pancetta with the garlic.
7. Fry — Drop 50g unsalted butter into a large frying pan or wok and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and garlic.
8. Stir — Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp.
9. Continue cooking — The garlic has now imparted its flavour, so take it out with a slotted spoon and discard.
10. Fry — Keep the heat under the pancetta on low. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with a pasta fork or tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta.
11. Continue cooking — Don’t worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don’t throw the pasta water away yet.
12. Mix together — Mix most of the cheese in with the eggs, keeping a small handful back for sprinkling over later.

More Italy recipes

• Pizza Margherita
• Spaghetti al Pomodoro
• Lasagna alla Bolognese
• Risotto alla Milanese
• Tiramisu
• Spaghetti Carbonara