Spaghetti Carbonara – by Elia Aboumrad and Sam Talbot

Spaghetti carbonara is a popular dish on cook programs, and it's also one of the easiest to prepare, yet most people make it incorrectly. Here's a chef-tested recipe for spaghetti carbonara that will ensure precisely cooked pasta every time. This dish is a deli egg-bacon-and-cheese-on-a-roll that has been pasta-fied, fancified, fetishized and turned into an Italian tradition that, like many inviolate Italian traditions, is actually far less old than the Mayflower. Because America may have contributed to its creation, carbonara is Exhibit A in the back-and-forth between Italy and the United States when it comes to food. Remember: the main goal is creaminess.

What you need:

• 3 eggs
• 340 g spaghetti
• 170 g guanciale (pork cheek)
• 3/4 cup cooked peas
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup parmesan cheese
• Black pepper
• Salt

How to cook:

• Cut the guanciale in small chunks. Add some olive oil to a skillet and the chopped up guanciale into the pan and cook until the fat has rendered and turned into a brownish color.
• As the guanciale is cooking beat two eggs in a bowl. Add freshly grated parmesan cheese, a generous amount of black pepper, into the bowl with the beaten eggs and continue to mix until all the contents blend perfectly.
• In another large pan, boil a generous amount of water and add some oil. Add the pasta and cook till ready.
• Reduce the heat on the skillet with the guanciale and add the pasta, peas and the egg sauce.
• Stir until you cover all the pasta with the sauce.
• Serve immediately while still hot.

A simple chef recipe for the best spaghetti carbonara.