Creamy Pasta Carbonara by Ben Maxwell

Ingredients

• 250g long noodle pasta (bucatini recommended)
• 6 large eggs
• 50g Pecorino Romano cheese, finely grated
• 300g guanciale, trimmed
• 1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper (plus more to taste)
• 1 tsp salt (for pasta water, optional)

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot about 1/4 of the way with water. Bring to a rolling boil. It is recommended not to salt the pasta water, as the guanciale and pecorino are already salty.
2. In a bowl, crack 4 whole eggs and add the yolks from the remaining 2 eggs. Whisk until smooth. Grate in the Pecorino Romano cheese and whisk again until well combined. Stir in a generous amount of freshly cracked black pepper. Set aside.
3. Dice the guanciale into approximately 1cm cubes. Place the diced guanciale into a large, cold, heavy-bottomed pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the guanciale has released its fat and is nicely browned and slightly crispy, about 10-15 minutes.
4. Once the guanciale is rendered and browned, remove the pan from the heat. Allow the pan and guanciale to cool down significantly, so it's only slightly warm to the touch. This critical step prevents the eggs from scrambling.
5. While the guanciale cools, cook the pasta in the boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
6. Add the drained pasta directly to the pan with the cooled guanciale and rendered fat. Toss to coat the pasta.
7. Gradually pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta and guanciale. Toss continuously and vigorously off the heat. The residual heat from the pasta and pan will cook the eggs into a creamy sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add a tablespoon or two of the reserved pasta water at a time, tossing until it reaches a silky consistency.
8. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Pecorino Romano and freshly cracked black pepper.