Carbonara Pasta

Preparation mode

• Start by boiling a large pot of salted water. When the water is boiling, add the pasta and cook according to package instructions until al dente.
• While the pasta is cooking, prepare the pancetta (or guanciale). Cut it into small pieces. If you prefer, you can remove excess fat.
• If you want to add a touch of garlic to the recipe, crush the garlic cloves and lightly fry them in a large frying pan with a little olive oil. Then remove and discard the garlic.
• In the same skillet, add the pancetta or guanciale and cook over medium heat until crispy and golden. There is no need to add oil as the meat will release its own fat. If you didn’t use garlic, you can start by heating the pan directly.
• While the meat is cooking, in a bowl, beat the eggs. Add most of the grated cheese (reserve some for finishing), some freshly ground black pepper and mix well.
• When the pasta is ready, drain it, but reserve about 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
• Immediately add the hot pasta to the skillet with the pancetta (or guanciale). Mix well so that the meat fat covers the pasta.
• Remove the skillet from the heat and quickly pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta. Mix well and add some of the reserved cooking water, one tablespoon at a time, until you get a creamy consistency.
• Serve immediately on warmed plates, sprinkled with the remaining grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper.