Spaghetti Carbonara with Guanciale

Ingredients

• Pasta and guanciale

  360 g dry spaghetti

  regular enriched wheat spaghetti

• 120 g unsmoked guanciale

  rind removed; cut into thin short strips

• 2000 g water

  about 2 litres, unsalted; most discarded, reserve 200 ml

• Egg sauce and finish

  100 g pasteurized whole egg

  without shells, about 2 large eggs; plain unsalted pasteurized egg only

• 34 g pasteurized egg yolk

  without shells, about 2 large yolks; plain unsalted pasteurized yolk only

• 80 g Pecorino Romano

  freshly finely grated; 70 g sauce and 10 g finish

• 2 g black pepper

  freshly ground; 1 g sauce and 1 g finish

Directions

1. Whisk the pasteurized egg and cheese mixture

   Set aside 10 g of the grated Pecorino and 1 g pepper for the finish. In a large heatproof mixing bowl, whisk 100 g pasteurized whole egg, 34 g pasteurized yolk, the remaining 70 g cheese and 1 g pepper until combined. Use eggs explicitly labelled pasteurized, or plain unsalted pasteurized whole egg and yolk products. Organic or free-range labels do not mean pasteurized. Keep this mixture refrigerated while you start the guanciale and pasta.

2. Render and crisp the guanciale

   Put all 120 g thin guanciale strips in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook for about 4–6 minutes, stirring, until the strips are cooked and their edges are golden and crisp. Follow the package cooking instructions if they require longer. Reduce the heat if the strips brown too quickly. Keep all rendered fat in the pan; no oil is needed. Take the pan off the hob.

3. Boil the spaghetti and reserve cooking water

   While the guanciale cooks, bring 2 litres of unsalted water to a boil in a large pot. Add all 360 g spaghetti and stir regularly, especially during the first minute. Cook according to the package until al dente, usually about 8–12 minutes. Just before draining, reserve 200 ml cooking water. Drain and put the hot spaghetti into the guanciale pan away from the hob. Toss to coat in the retained fat. Let vigorous sizzling stop before the next step.

4. Toss away from the heat and serve

   Bring the egg bowl out of the refrigerator. Transfer all spaghetti, guanciale and rendered fat into it. Add 60 ml hot reserved pasta water and toss vigorously with tongs for about 1 minute until the sauce looks glossy and coats the strands. Add more reserved water in 15 ml increments only as needed; you may not need all 200 ml. Do not put the egg bowl over direct heat. Scrape in any sauce or fat left in the pan, divide into four portions and finish with the reserved 10 g Pecorino and 1 g pepper. Serve immediately. This gentle tossing step is not a validated egg pasteurization process; the eggs must already be pasteurized.