Spaghetti alla Carbonara

• servings: 4-6

Ingredients

8 oz guanciale, or fatty thick slab bacon, cubed

1 lb dry spaghetti

4 large eggs

½ cup parmigiano-reggiano

½ cup pecorino romano

Freshly cracked black peppercorns

Salt to taste

Directions

Cook the spaghetti al dente and reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.

While the pasta is cooking, saute your cubed meat over medium until fat is rendered and it’s crispy.

In a small bowl, whisk the eggs and the cheese until well combined. Temper the eggs by adding a little bit of the hot pasta water and stirring vigorously

Return the meat pan to medium heat and add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water and the drained spaghetti until bubbling subsides.

Remove the pan from the heat and add the egg and cheese mixture while vigorously stirring until the egg thickens into a sauce. The residual heat from the pasta cooks the eggs.

Season with salt to taste.

Serve with a generous amount of freshly grated black pepper. This is a key flavor in the dish, not just a garnish.

Notes

Description:

This simple pasta dish from Rome, with a thick and cheesy sauce made by utilizing pasta water and raw eggs. A great dish to understand how to use pasta water as well as thickening saucing in general. This dish varies from cacio e pepe with the addition of eggs and pork.