Classic Carbonara

There are a lot of Italian pretensions around the recipe, but I believe you can do your thing. If you prefer pancetta over guanciale, if you prefer Parmesan to Pecorino, if you like peas - nothing is off limits. Okay, maybe peas! But it's a 15-minute dish that takes little more than the boiling time of the pasta to create. So easy. So good. This is my way.

There are times when I switch to the slightly fuller, sweeter taste of Parmesan over the saltier, sheepier Pecorino; but to keep things traditional we'll go with the Pecorino variant. A Parmesan and Pecorino mix is always an option, though most often I opt for whichever of the two I have left in the fridge. This dish is as much about convenience as taste, though it excels at both.

When it comes to meat, the question is again how classic you want to go. Guanciale is fatty, really fatty, and in some cases a block can be almost devoid of actual meat. There is a fair case to be made - even putting availability aside - that lardons, pancetta or chopped bacon are not just an easier option to obtain, but one that will make for a meatier dish. I have gone with all the latter on many, many occasions, but in the name of going classic, and also just to experience that amazing, crispy fatness of the pig cheek, we'll go with guanciale here.

Finally, my preference is for linguine over spaghetti. I find the surface-area-to-volume ratio helps the sauce bind just that little bit better. But it's a free world. You do you. I know there are more complex ways to cook Carbonara, particularly relating to the eggs, but for me this is the perfect balance of simplicity and taste.

As a post-note, the origins here supposedly only go back to the Second World War, when American troops in Italy wished for a way to enjoy egg and bacon in a pasta dish. By the standards of Italian cooking it's a mere baby. But done well, it's a gorgeous, rich, filling bite that will always leave you satisfied and ready to crash on the sofa after a large portion.

Ingredients

• Pasta - linguine (spaghetti) - 130g per person
• Guanciale (lardons / pancetta)
• Pecorino (Parmesan)
• Garlic
• Egg
• Peppercorns

Preparation

• Beat the eggs (1 per person), and keep adding the finely grated cheese until you produce a thick paste.
• Grind mixed peppercorns in a mortar.
• Boil the water and add the pasta. There is no need to salt the water as the cheese is salty enough, and I would certainly refrain from adding oil to the water - which will hinder the sauce from sticking to the pasta.
• Cut the meat into small chunks, if required.
• Put the ground pepper into the frying pan on a medium heat, and swirl until it just starts to toast.
• Add the meat and a couple of squashed garlic cloves, turn up the heat, then stir until the meat is covered with the ground pepper. As the pork heats, the fat will start to cook and melt.
• Once the meat is crunchy and charred on the outside, turn the heat off. Throw out the garlic cloves, then remove the meat to a bowl, leaving the peppery oil in the pan.
• Take a small cup from the pasta water - you may or may not need this - and add the cooked pasta to the peppery oil, mixing until the pepper and char are well distributed over the pasta.
• Spoon the egg and cheese mix into the pasta, then stir and stir. The low residual heat should melt the cheese without cooking the eggs. If the texture is too liquidy, then apply a very low heat. If the texture is too thick, then use a little of the pasta water.
• Continue stirring and mixing for a few minutes, allowing a cream to form and the pasta to soak up the cheesy goodness.
• Mix in most of the meat and give a final few mixes.
• Plate, then sprinkle the last of the meat on top before adding a little grated cheese. Eat rapidly while the texture is perfect.