By Hollie Harris
The origins of this classic Italian sauce may be a topic for debate, but there’s no contesting this holy union of egg, parmesan, crisp pork and pasta.
INGREDIENTS
500g Barilla Spaghetti
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, bruised
150g piece pancetta, rind removed, finely chopped
4 eggs, at room temperature
40g (1/2 cup) grated parmesan, plus extra, to serve
METHOD
Step 1
Cook pasta in a large saucepan of boiling salted water for 8 minutes or until al dente. Drain, reserving 125ml (1/2 cup) cooking water.
Step 2
Meanwhile, heat oil in a large, deep frying pan over medium heat. Add garlic and pancetta, and cook, stirring, for 6 minutes or until both are light golden. Discard garlic and remove pan from heat.
Step 3
Whisk eggs, parmesan and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper in a bowl (don’t add salt as cooking water and pancetta are salty). Add reserved hot cooking water and whisk until well combined.
Step 4
Return frying pan to medium heat. Working quickly, add hot pasta and toss for 2 minutes or until well coated with oil and pancetta. Remove pan from heat, add egg mixture, then toss for 1 minute or until egg mixture is creamy and warmed through (the heat from the pasta and pan will cook and slightly thicken the egg mixture without scrambling it).
Step 5
Divide carbonara among plates and scatter with extra parmesan. Serve immediately.
