This “easy” pasta carbonara recipe from BBC Good Food uses just five ingredients.
The recipe notes said: “It’s the technique that helps to create that creamy Italian classic with no worries.
“Italian Michelin-trained chef Danilo Cortellini cooks the eggs gently over a bain-marie for a few minutes to make sure they’re hot through without scrambling and it’s perfect every time.”
This recipe serves four people and will be cooked in under 20 minutes.
Whilst you can use any pasta shape you fancy, it traditionally uses spaghetti, and the same goes for guanciale or pancetta.
Ingredients:
400g guanciale or pancetta, ring removed and chopped into strips
Two free-range eggs, plus four free-range egg yolks
50g pecorino romano, grated, plus 30g to serve
90g grand padano or parmesan, grated, plus 30g to serve
400g spaghetti
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Method:
Gently fry the guanciale or pancetta in a frying pan over low heat for 10 to 15 minutes to help slowly render the fat and give it time to crisp up.
Then, transfer it to kitchen paper and pat dry. Dispose of three-quarters of the fat in the pan and keep the rest for the pasta.
To create the sauce, whisk the yolks, eggs and grated cheeses in a large heatproof glass bowl.
Place this over a saucepan of gently simmering water and cook gently, whisking constantly, until a thick custard-like consistency is reached.
Do not allow the water to reach boiling point or the eggs will scramble. Although not essential, it’ll be 62C when finished, which can be checked with a kitchen thermometer.
Drop the spaghetti in a large saucepan of salted boiling water and cook to packet instructions, then drain the pasta and reserve a mug of cooking water.
Place the pasta in the frying pan with the reserved fat and mix well. Add the sauce to the pasta and then add a splash of pasta water to loosen the sauce until it reaches a creamy consistency.
Stir and toss the pasta to coat, add the crispy guanciale and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Serve in large pasta bowls topped with extra grated cheese.
