Erik’s Spaghetti Carbonara

Erik renders the pancetta in a dry pan, then tosses spaghetti with egg yolks, Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano. Coarsely ground black pepper and a little fresh garlic at the end give his carbonara its character.

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• about 500 g dried spaghetti
• 80 g pancetta
• 6 egg yolks
• 30 g Pecorino Romano
• 30 g Parmigiano Reggiano
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tbsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 litres water for cooking the pasta
• 3 tsp Celtic salt
• 1 tsp extra virgin olive oil to finish (optional)

Method

1. Bring the water and Celtic salt to the boil. Dice the pancetta and put it in a dry frying pan. Start over high heat, then turn it down so the fat renders and the pancetta takes on a little colour while staying tender. Briefly toast some of the black pepper in the fat.
2. Cook the spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 200 ml of the cooking water before draining. Finely grate both cheeses and set aside a little of each for serving.
3. Finely grate two garlic cloves and mix them with the egg yolks and cheese. Gradually whisk in warm pasta water, starting with 50 ml, until smooth.
4. Set aside a few pieces of pancetta for serving. Loosen the browned bits in the pan with a splash of reserved water, then toss in the spaghetti. Take the pan off the heat and let it cool for about two minutes.
5. Add the egg and cheese mixture in batches, tossing constantly. Add a little more pasta water as needed until the sauce coats the spaghetti. Finely grate the last garlic clove and add it to taste.
6. Serve straight away with the reserved pancetta, both cheeses and the remaining pepper. Finish with olive oil if you like.