Marcus Bean’s classic carbonara
Marcus Bean’s kicking off the week with a classic: his creamy carbonara. This simple spaghetti supper uses crispy pancetta and silky cheese sauce - a delicious dish that’s fit for a Duchess.
Classic carbonara
Serves: 5-6
Ingredients
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper400g Guanciale, cubed 500g dried spaghetti 1 whole egg3 egg yolks300g Pecorino cheese, freshly grated50g Parmesan Reggiano, freshly grated
Method
1. Place a large pot of water on to boil and season generously with salt.
2. Add the cubed guanciale into a large frying pan on a medium/ high heat and fry until golden. Set the guanciale aside but keep the excess oil in the pan for later.
3. Once boiling, add the pasta to the water and cook according to packet instructions until al dente.
4. In a mixing bowl, add the eggs and yolks and whisk together, add the grated cheeses and about 1⁄2 cup of the water from the boiling pasta and mix to combine.
5. Once the pasta is cooked, add it to the frying pan you cooked the guanciale in on a very low heat. Return half of the cooked guanciale back into the pan, then add the egg & cheese mix and mix to combine. Keep the pan on a very low heat to avoid the egg from curdling. Add a touch of extra pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
6. Twist the pasta onto serving plates and pour over extra sauce. Sprinkle the remaining crispy guanciale on top and finish with freshly cracked black pepper.