Pasta alla Carbonara

Place the guanciale lardons in a cold, dry skillet — no oil. Start over medium-low heat and cook slowly for 8-12 minutes, turning occasionally. The fat must render gently; high heat will make the exterior tough before the interior fat has melted. Cook until the fat is fully translucent and the meat portions are crisp and golden at the edges. Remove the pan from the heat and use a slotted spoon to transfer the guanciale to a paper towel briefly, then return to the pan with all the rendered fat. The pan and fat must be warm but not hot when the sauce is made.

While the guanciale renders, combine the egg yolks and whole egg in a bowl large enough to eventually hold all the pasta. Add half the finely grated Pecorino and a generous amount of freshly coarsely ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth, thick, and pale yellow — the consistency of heavy cream. It should fall from the whisk in a thick, continuous ribbon. Do not add salt — the guanciale fat and Pecorino provide all the salt this dish needs.

Cook the pasta in a large pot of well-salted water (the water should taste pleasantly salty, like a mild sea). Cook to 1 full minute less than the package's al dente time — it will finish cooking in the sauce off-heat. Before draining, scoop out at least 1 cup (240ml) of pasta cooking water — this cloudy, starchy water is the linchpin of the sauce. Drain the pasta but do not rinse.

Transfer the drained pasta directly to the pan with the guanciale and its rendered fat over medium heat. Toss vigorously for 30 seconds, making sure every strand is coated in pork fat and has had contact with the hot pan. This step flavors the pasta before the egg sauce arrives. Add 2-3 tablespoons of the reserved pasta water to the pan and toss again — the starch in the water begins building the emulsion.

This is the critical step. Remove the pan from the heat entirely and let it rest 30 seconds off the burner. Pour the egg-cheese mixture over the pasta, and immediately begin tossing vigorously with tongs while simultaneously adding pasta water a tablespoon at a time. The residual heat from the pasta and pan will gently set the eggs into a sauce — but only if you keep moving. The pasta water both lubricates the sauce and prevents the eggs from scrambling by distributing heat. Aim for a consistency between thick cream and loose custard — it should flow when the pan is tilted but cling to every strand. Add the remaining Pecorino in two additions, tossing between each. Taste and adjust pepper.