Master the art of Italian pasta with this timeless spaghetti carbonara from Gennaro Contaldo, Jamie Oliver's esteemed mentor. Straight from his acclaimed The Pasta Book, this recipe delivers creamy, authentic perfection in just 10 minutes.
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Ingredients for 2 servings
- 3 large free-range egg yolks
- 40 g Parmesan, plus extra to serve
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 150 g pancetta, preferably free-range or organic
- 200 g spaghetti
- 1 garlic clove, peeled
- Extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Whisk the egg yolks in a bowl with grated Parmesan and a pinch of black pepper. Trim any hard rind from the pancetta, reserve it, and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces.
- Cook the spaghetti al dente in a large pot of boiling salted water. Meanwhile, rub a medium skillet with the pancetta rind over medium-high heat for extra flavor (or use a teaspoon of olive oil).
- Crush the garlic clove with the flat of your hand, add to the pan, and cook for 1 minute to infuse the oil. Stir in the pancetta and fry for 4 minutes until crisp. Remove and discard the garlic.
- Drain the spaghetti, reserving 1 cup of cooking water. Toss the pasta with the pancetta in the pan to absorb the flavors, then remove from heat. Add a splash of reserved water, black pepper to taste, and the egg mixture—the residual heat will gently cook the eggs without scrambling.
- Toss thoroughly, adding more cooking water if needed for a silky sauce. Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.
Recipe from The Pasta Book by Gennaro Contaldo, €9.99.
