Spaghetti carbonara

Bring a large pot of water to the boil and salt it properly — this is the only salt in the dish, since the cheese and the guanciale bring their own.

Put the guanciale into a cold pan and turn the heat to medium. The fat should render gradually and the pieces turn golden and crisp at the edges, about 6 to 8 minutes.

While the fat renders, beat the yolks, the whole egg, the grated pecorino and the pepper into a thick paste. Let it sit at room temperature so it does not seize when it meets hot pasta.

Cook the spaghetti a minute short of the packet time. Before draining, save a cup of the cooking water — the sauce will not come together without it.

Take the pan off the heat, add the pasta and toss it through the fat. Let the pan cool for twenty seconds — it should be warm, not hot.

Pour in the egg mixture and stir hard, adding pasta water a spoonful at a time until the sauce turns glossy and coats every strand. Serve immediately.