Spaghetti alla Carbonara

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dry spaghetti
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 ounces pancetta or slab bacon, cubed or sliced into small strips
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, plus more for serving
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 handful fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add the pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender yet firm¹.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a deep skillet over medium flame. Add the pancetta and sauté for about 3 minutes, until the bacon is crisp and the fat is rendered. Toss the garlic into the fat and sauté for less than 1 minute to soften¹.
3. Drain the pasta well, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water to use in the sauce if you wish¹.
4. Add the hot, drained spaghetti to the pan and toss for 2 minutes to coat the strands in the bacon fat¹.
5. Beat the eggs and Parmesan together in a mixing bowl, stirring well to prevent lumps¹.
6. Remove the pan from the heat and pour the egg/cheese mixture into the pasta, whisking quickly until the eggs thicken, but do not scramble¹.
7. Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, until it reaches desired consistency¹.
8. Season the carbonara with several turns of freshly ground black pepper and taste for salt¹.
9. Mound the spaghetti carbonara into warm serving bowls and garnish with chopped parsley¹.

Enjoy your homemade Spaghetti alla Carbonara! 🍝