Step 1.
Take a bowl, and grate in your Parmesan + Pecorino (set a pinch aside for sprinkling at the end).
Step 2.
Then add 6 egg yolks, and a very, very generous amount of black pepper, 4 or 5 pinches of it. A good carbonara is meant to be peppery – hence the name, CARBONara. Whisk everything together and set aside.
Step 3.
Chop your smoked bacon into little bits, and add to a frying pan.
Step 4.
As they begin to brown, add your spaghetti to a pan of boiling water. Salt the boiling water – pasta water is meant to be almost as salty as the sea!
Step 5.
Once the bacon is crisp, add 2 cloves of sliced garlic. Allow these to soften – if the garlic or bacon looks like it is catching on a pan, add small spoons of the starchy pasta water.
Step 6.
When the pasta is 1 minute before being ready – so still quite al dente, take out 5 or 6 ladles of the pasta water and pour it into a bowl. Set this bowl aside.
Step 7.
Drain the pasta, and then pour the pasta into the pan with the bacon and the garlic. Add a couple ladles of the pasta water, and cook everything together over a medium heat. Once the water has evaporated and the pasta is nice and silky, take off the heat.
Step 8.
Allow to cool down for 1 minute, and then add the egg and parmesan mixture, and another ladle of the water and mix it all together.
Step 9.
If it looks too thick, add a bit more water. It should be silky smooth! Serve with a sprinkle of parmesan and twist or two more of black pepper! Enjoy!
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