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
Better version
Pancetta, free-range eggs and a Parmesan-Pecorino mix.
Per serving£3.10
Total cost£6.20
Time25 min
Ingredients for 2
- 200 g dried spaghetti
- 120 g pancetta , diced
- 2 free-range eggs
- 1 free-range egg yolk
- 30 g Parmesan , finely grated
- 30 g Pecorino Romano , finely grated
- 1 tsp black peppercorns , coarsely cracked
- salt , to taste
Method
- Cook the spaghetti in well-salted boiling water until al dente, reserving a mugful of the starchy water.
- Fry the pancetta in a dry pan over a medium heat until the fat renders and it turns golden, then take off the heat.
- Whisk the whole eggs and yolk with both cheeses and the cracked pepper to a paste.
- Add a splash of pasta water to the warm pancetta, then tip in the drained spaghetti and toss.
- Off the heat, pour in the egg mixture and toss continuously, adding pasta water until you have a glossy, creamy sauce.
- Serve at once with extra cheese and pepper.
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.
