How to make next level spaghetti carbonara

1. The cheek of it

Authentically, carbonara is made with guanciale, which is Italian cured pork jowl – also known as cheek bacon. It has a high fat-to-meat ratio giving ;the finished dish its richness. Guanciale is available from good Italian delis, or online, but fatty pancetta makes an equally good stand-in.

2. Hot pepper

'Carbonara' means charcoal and the dish was so named apparently because of the visible black specks of pepper. It should be used as spice in this recipe more than background seasoning. Be generous enough that it adds heat to the finished dish and wake up the flavour by toasting it off in hot fat.

3. You must be yolking

We’ve used just the yolks as they are the rich part of the eggs that thicken sauces, and whites can become streaky and slimy when under-cooked. For extra luxury, we’ve given the option of an extra yolk to be stirred in at the table. These could be swapped for duck or goose egg yolks if you have them.

4. Stop the seize

Don’t be tempted (as other not so ‘next level’ recipes suggest) to mix the yolks and parmesan together; they seize into a clump that’s then hard to incorporate into the pasta.

5. Holy water

Pasta water is perfect for loosening pasta dishes as it contains starch and flavour from the pasta, which adds to the silkiness of the finished sauce.

6. The heat is off

All the cooking of the eggs should be done in the residual heat from the pasta. Geek alert: Yolks will thicken at 65C and will start to scramble at about 70C, so the heat from the just-boiled water will be more than enough to thicken the yolks into a sauce that’s velvety and clings to the pasta.

7. Emulsion perfection

Ultimately you are trying to emulsify the yolks and pancetta fat together, which is the same principle as making a hollandaise sauce. You need to use your judgement and, if the sauce is too thick, add more water and if it’s too thin, heat it up briefly.

8. The perfect pasta

We’ve opted for the classic spaghetti but a flat pasta like egg fettucine or tagliatelle also work well. A slightly rough-faced pasta rather than a cheaper smooth type will help the sauce cling. Look for pasta that’s been through a bronze press.

9. The need for speed

Carbonara is a last-minute recipe that needs to be served as soon as it’s ready. Have everything you need to hand before cooking and make sure the table is set.

10. A word of warming

The finished dish loses its heat very quickly and is horrid when tepid so warming your bowls or plates will help it stay hot for longer and will also help ‘cook’ the extra egg yolk if you’re using it.

See the full recipe for our next level spaghetti carbonara.

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