Spaghetti Carbonara

Instructions

1. 1

   Set up before you turn on any heat: grate the cheese, cut the guanciale, crack the eggs, and put a mug next to the stove for pasta water. Carbonara comes together in the last 90 seconds and there is no time to look for anything.

2. 2

   In a medium bowl, whisk the whole egg, the two yolks, all the pecorino, and the cracked black pepper until it forms a thick, almost spreadable paste. It will look too thick — that's correct. The pasta water loosens it later.

3. 3

   Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and salt it lightly — about half as much as you normally would, because the guanciale and pecorino are both very salty.

4. 4

   While the water heats, put the guanciale in a large COLD skillet, then set it over medium heat. Starting cold renders the fat slowly instead of burning the outside. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until the pieces are deep golden and crisp at the edges but still slightly chewy in the middle.

5. 5

   Turn off the heat under the skillet and leave the guanciale and all of its fat in the pan. That fat is a third of the flavor of this dish.

6. 6

   Drop the spaghetti into the boiling water and cook it 1 minute less than the package says, stirring in the first minute so nothing sticks. Just before draining, dip your mug in and take out a full cup of the cloudy pasta water.

7. 7

   Use tongs to lift the pasta straight from the pot into the skillet — a little water dripping in with it is good. Toss for 30 seconds so every strand is coated in guanciale fat.

8. 8

   Now wait about 60 seconds, tossing occasionally, so the pan cools slightly. This is the step everyone skips, and it is the difference between silky sauce and scrambled eggs. The pan should be hot to the touch but not sizzling.

9. 9

   Pour the egg-cheese paste over the pasta and toss quickly and constantly with the tongs. Add hot pasta water one tablespoon at a time — usually 3 to 5 tablespoons total — tossing between each, until the sauce turns glossy, pale gold, and coats every strand like thin custard.

10. 10

    If the sauce stays thick and clumpy, add another splash of water. If it is watery, keep tossing — the residual heat will tighten it. If it truly won't thicken, set the pan over the LOWEST heat for 10–15 seconds while tossing nonstop, then pull it off.

11. 11

    Plate immediately in warm bowls, twirling the pasta high, and finish with more pecorino and a heavy grind of pepper. Carbonara does not sit — eat it now.