Carbonara

This is a great, quick weeknight dinner. This traditional Italian pasta dish combines a silky cheese sauce with crisp pancetta and black pepper.

Ingredients

• 100g pancetta / bacon
• 50g parmesan
• 3 large eggs
• 350g spaghetti
• 2 garlic cloves
• 50g butter
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

1. Put a large saucepan of water on to boil with 1 tsp salt.
2. Finely chop the pancetta/bacon and finely grate the parmesan.
3. Beat the eggs in a medium bowl, mix in the cheese and season with a little freshly grated black pepper.
4. Add spaghetti to the saucepan then cook at a constant simmer for 10 minutes or until al dente (just cooked).
5. While the spaghetti is cooking, add the butter to a large frying pan and, as soon as the butter has melted, tip in the pancetta and crushed garlic. Leave to cook on a medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring often, until the pancetta is golden and crisp.
6. Turn the heat under the pancetta to low.
7. When the pasta is ready, lift it from the water with tongs and put it in the frying pan with the pancetta. Don’t worry if a little water drops in the pan as well (you want this to happen) and don’t throw the pasta water away yet.
8. Take the pan of spaghetti and pancetta off the heat. Now quickly pour in the eggs and cheese. Using the tongs, lift up the spaghetti so it mixes easily with the egg mixture, which thickens but doesn’t scramble, and everything is coated.
9. Add extra pasta cooking water to keep it saucy (several tablespoons should do it). You don’t want it wet, just moist. Season with a little salt, if needed.
10. Serve immediately with a grating of black pepper.