Mains
Italian
ItalianSpaghetti Carbonara
The Roman pasta classic of eggs, cured pork and cheese, served three ways. The tiers climb from bacon and Cheddar through pancetta and Parmesan to guanciale, Pecorino Romano and a properly emulsified, creamless sauce.
Nut-free
Budget version
Streaky bacon, eggs and Cheddar tossed through spaghetti.
Per serving£1.70
Total cost£3.40
Time20 min
Ingredients for 2
- 180 g dried spaghetti
- 100 g streaky bacon , chopped
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 40 g Cheddar , grated
- 1 clove garlic , crushed
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- salt and pepper , to taste
Method
- Cook the spaghetti in salted boiling water until just tender, reserving a mugful of the cooking water.
- Fry the bacon and garlic in the oil until the bacon is crisp.
- Beat the eggs with the grated Cheddar and plenty of pepper.
- Drain the pasta and add it to the bacon pan off the heat, then quickly stir through the egg mixture, loosening with a splash of pasta water so it coats without scrambling.
- Season and serve straight away.
Equipment
The three ways, side by side
Budget
Streaky bacon, eggs and Cheddar tossed through spaghetti.
Better
Pancetta, free-range eggs and a Parmesan-Pecorino mix.
Ultimate
Traditional guanciale, Pecorino Romano DOP and a perfectly emulsified sauce.
