250g8 oz grated pecorino romano cheese (or a combination of Parmesan and pecorino)
250g8 oz guanciale or pancetta, cut into cubed
Olive oilor lard
Saltto taste
Lots of freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Cook the spaghetti in abundantly salted water until al dente.
While you are cooking your spaghetti, whisk egg with grated pecorino cheese and lots of freshly ground pepper. (For most palates, if you salt the pasta water sufficiently and given that pecorino and pancetta are already quite salty, you need not season the sauce with salt.)
Once the spaghetti are cooked al dente, drain them (but not too well) and pour them into the skillet over very low heat. Make sure there is a bit of pasta water clinging to the pasta; if not, add a ladleful from the pasta pot. Mix well and then add your egg mixture and mix again. Keep mixing until the eggs just being to thicken and form a creamy sauce that clings to the pasta. If you prefer (and these days I tend to like my carbonara this way) or if you are worried about contamination, you can continue a bit longer until the eggs actually set. In either case, remove from the heat as soon as it just bit less done than you want, as the eggs will continue to cook from the residual heat of the pasta.
Serve immediately in warm pasta plates with additional pecorino and ground pepper if you like.
Notes
For the most authentic version of this dish, use guanciale, cured pork jowl. If you can't find pancetta or guanciale, bacon can be substituted.