Classic Carbonara

Serves 2

Takes 30 minutes

A dish that looks deceptively simple yet requires a certain amount of skill to pull off with finesse. Our recipe will talk you through every step to ensure you end up with two stunning bowls of carbonara with the silkiest of sauces that clings to the spaghetti like it’s life depended on it. A final egg yolk atop for extra decadence and a sprinkling of chives lifts this dish to a rather spectacular level.

1. Begin by setting a pot of well-salted water on to boil.
2. Crack 2 whole eggs into a bowl, along with 3 of the egg yolks, pecorino cheese and black pepper, whisk well to combine, set aside for later.
3. Set a frying pan on medium heat and add in the guanciale or bacon lardons, fry for 6 minutes until all the fat has rendered, remove the meat with a slotted spoon, keeping the fat in the pan. Turn the heat down to the lowest setting. Add a spoonful of the fat to the egg and pecorino mixture, whisking to combine. Set aside once more.
4. Put the spaghetti into the salted boiling water and cook until al dente, keep 1 mugful of the starchy pasta water and drain the rest.
5. Add the pasta into the warm fat, toss to coat all the pasta in the oils. Add the lardons back in and toss again to combine. Re-whisk the egg mixture and pour all over the pasta, stirring constantly to begin the emulsification. Pour in a couple splashes of the pasta water to help the sauce become wonderfully velvety, grate in some extra pecorino if preferred at this stage. Always keep on a very low heat to ensure you don’t begin to cook the eggs. Toss one more final time to ensure all the pasta is coated in the lovely sauce and serve immediately into bowls. Make a small well in the top and place the final two egg yolks on top of each bowl of pasta. Finish with a sprinkling of chives and a final grating pecorino, enjoy!

• 100g guanciale/bacon lardons, diced into 1cm cubes
• 100g pecorino, grated
• 2 eggs
• 5 egg yolks
• 250g spaghetti
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• Handful chives, finely chopped