Carbonara

It is said that charcoal burners, or carbonari in Italian, used to cook penne with cured pork and grated cheese during their work breaks in the Apennines. Carbonara was first mentioned in connection with Roman cuisine in 1939. Guanciale, egg, pepper, and hard cheese are the core ingredients that are best not replaced by anything else.

Ingredients for 2 people:

• 1 whole egg
• 2 egg yolks (3 if you prefer plenty of sauce)
• 30 g pecorino
• 70 g Parmesan (finely grated)
• pepper and salt
• 120 g guanciale

8 preparation steps:

• Bring a pot of water to the boil and salt it generously: cook the pasta until al dente.
• Cut the guanciale into small cubes or strips and heat it slowly in a frying pan.
• This allows the fat to render: Fry it over a medium heat until crispy, without letting it burn.
• Whisk the whole egg, the egg yolks, the pecorino, and the Parmesan together in a bowl.
• Stir in black pepper until you have a thick cream.
• Once the pasta is ready, save a cup of the pasta water and a little of the guanciale fat.
• Mix the carbonara sauce and the pasta together vigorously over a pot of boiling water.
• Season to taste with black pepper and perhaps a little salt, then portion onto plates.

Now serve the carbonara with extra pecorino or Parmesan and a little black pepper.