Spaghetti alla Carbonara - Spaghetti with Eggs and Bacon

History

Anna del Conte is one of my favourite cookery writers. Her recipes always work and this one, taken from Anna del Conteís Italian Kitchen - La Pasta, is no exception. It is not an easy dish to make successfully but this is the nearest I have ever had to the first spaghetti alla carbonara I ever ate - on board an Italian ship sailing first class round the Cape of Good Hope to Karachi in 1971 on my way to Afghanistan . It was fabulous (the journey was too) and I have never forgotten it!

The creation of this dish is attributed to the carbonari - charcoal burners - who used to make their charcoal in the mountainous forests of Lazio. Traditionally, the meat used was the jowl of the pig, but nowadays most carbonara is made with pancetta, which is belly of pork, similar to streaky bacon but cured differently.

IngredientsServes 3

• 1 tbsp olive oil 4 fresh sage leaves 1 garlic clove, peeled 120 g smoked pancetta or smoked streaky bacon, cut into matchsticks   
• 350 g spaghetti   
• 3 eggs   
• 6 tbsp freshly grated Parmesan   
• salt and freshly ground black pepper   
• 60 g butter  

Method

Heat the oil, sage leaves (I omit if I don't have any) and garlic clove (important) in a large frying pan. Add the pancetta and saute for about 10 minutes, until the pancetta is golden brown and the fat has run out. Discard the garlic and the sage.

Cook the spaghetti in plenty of boiling salted water until al dente.

Meanwhile, lightly beat the eggs in a bowl and add the Parmesan, a little salt and a generous amount of black pepper.

Drain the pasta, reserving a cupful of the water. (Don't omit this step it is crucial.) Return the spaghetti to the saucepan and toss with the butter, then add to the frying pan. Stir fry for a minute or so.

Remove from the heat and transfer the spaghetti mixture to a heated bowl. Pour over the egg and cheese mixture and add about 4 tbsp of the reserved water to give the sauce the right fluidity. Mix well and serve at once. (Don't reheat, the egg will become like rubbery scrambled eggs - they will cook enough from the heat of the cooked spaghetti. And do eat at once as this is not nice when it has gone cold!)