Classic Spaghetti Carbonara

Discover how to make classic spaghetti carbonara. This cheesy pasta dish is an Italian favourite but very often is one of the most popular dishes on the Wild Atlantic Way. When you don’t order it, you usually end up wishing you had. Just a handful of ingredients put it together properly will bring all the magic to the table.

You will need

  • Non-stick frying pan
  • Medium pot
  • Colander
  • Small bowl
  • Wire whisk

Ingredients

Serves 2
  • 220g dried spaghetti
  • 160g guanciale or streaky bacon
  • 4 tbsp of Parmesan cheese
  • 3 large free-range egg yolks
  • 3 tbsp of water
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 tbsp of repressed oil
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation Method

15 minutes
  1. Place the egg yolks with water into a small bowl. Add grated Parmesan cheese and mix well using a wire whisk until well combined and set aside till needed.
  2. Cut guanciale or streaky bacon into the small cubes.
  3. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti pasta until al dente.
  4. Meanwhile, rub the guanciale, if you have any, all over the base of a non-stick frying pan, this will add amazing flavour to your carbonara. If you are using streaky bacon instead of guanciale, use 2 tbsp of repressed oil and place the pan over medium-high heat.
  5. Peel the garlic clove, crush with the palm of your hand and add to the pan. Continue frying for about 2 minutes to flavour the fat. Stir in the guanciale or streaky bacon and cook for 5 minutes, or until it starts to crisp up.
  6. Discard the garlic from the pan. Drain the spaghetti pasta using a colander and place straight away into the pan. Toss well over the heat, so it soaks up all flavour and remove the pan from the heat.
  7. Pour in the egg yolk mixture to the pan and toss well until pasta gets a silky coat. Seasoning with freshly ground black pepper and divide into portions. Sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and serve straight away.

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