Spaghetti Carbonara with Guanciale

Instructions

1. 1

   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tbsp salt, then add the 200 g spaghetti and cook until al dente, about 9 minutes or 1 minute less than the package time. Reserve 200 ml of the starchy cooking water, then drain the spaghetti in a colander.

   ~10 min

2. 2

   While step 1 cooks

   While the spaghetti boils, cut the 100 g guanciale into 1 cm strips. Crack the 2 eggs into a small bowl, grate in the 40 g pecorino romano, add 1 tsp coarsely crushed black peppercorns and whisk to a thick paste.

   ~4 min

3. 3

   Put the guanciale strips in a cold frying pan and set over medium heat. Cook until the fat renders and the strips are golden and crisp at the edges, 5 to 6 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and leave the guanciale and its fat in the pan.

   ~6 min

4. 4

   Whisk 3 tbsp of the reserved starchy cooking water into the egg and pecorino mixture to loosen it into a smooth sauce.

   ~1 min

5. 5

   Tip the drained spaghetti into the warm pan with the guanciale and its fat, tossing so every strand is coated. Pour in the egg and pecorino sauce and toss hard and continuously off the heat until the sauce turns creamy and clings to the pasta, about 1 minute; add the remaining 100 ml starchy water a spoonful at a time if it looks tight.

   ~1 min

   Chef's tip
6. 6

   Serve at once in warm bowls, with the crisp guanciale and any extra black pepper on top.

   ~1 min