Pasta Carbonara

Serves: 4
Time: 30 mins
Source: Adapted from Paul Gayler's Sauce Book, and Gennaro Contaldo from Good Food
Goes with: Side salad

• 125g pancetta/salt pork/smoked streaky bacon (and/or mushrooms for veggie or desire)
• 75g mix pecorino/parmesan
• 3 eggs (2 whole 1 yolk)
• 450g dried pasta (linguine, spaghetti)
• 2 garlic cloves
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup white wine
• (Optional) caramelised onions

1. Peel and crush garlic
2. Slice the meat, cook in a frying pan with oil/butter until browned/releasing fat but not crispy. When nearly done, dd the minced garlic, soften but don't brown it. When done, move bacon/garlic/fat to a bowl to cool.
3. Deglaze the pan with the wine, reduce by 2/3, then add to the bacon
4. In a large bowl that will fit all thr cooked pasta lightly whisk the eggs
5. Grate all 75g of cheese mix, add to the bowl
6. When the bacon/garlic/wine is cool, add to the bowl
7. Boil water for the pasta, just enough to cover, probably a litre here. Use 1.5tsp fine salt per litre
8. Pre-heat dinner bowls
9. Cook the pasta, then hold back some pasta water when draining into a separate bowl - this is used to loosen carbonara if needed (I haven't yet for this recipe)
10. Drained pasta dump in bowl on top of mixture, and quickly toss and stir thoroughly. The residual pasta heat cooks the egg. All this faff is to avoid scrambling the egg which happens in regular recipes which put egg into the pan instead.
11. Add pasta water if needed, looking for a sheen, but be careful
12. Serve immediately. Add pepper, salt flakes, grated cheese