Spaghetti alla Carbonara Classic

Dice the guanciale into small, even pieces. Place it in a cold large skillet or frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook slowly, rendering out the fat until the guanciale is golden brown and crispy. Remove the crispy guanciale pieces from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Keep the rendered fat in the pan.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about 1 to 1.5 cups of the starchy pasta cooking water. Drain the spaghetti well.

While the pasta cooks, in a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and the whole egg if using. Add the freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until the mixture is smooth and well combined. This is your carbonara cream.

Immediately add the hot, drained spaghetti to the skillet with the reserved guanciale fat. Toss the spaghetti vigorously to coat it evenly with the fat. This step helps cool the pasta slightly and prepares it for the egg mixture.

Remove the skillet from the heat. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the spaghetti. Quickly and continuously toss the pasta, adding a small amount of the reserved hot pasta water a little at a time. The heat from the pasta will cook the eggs gently and the starchy water will create a creamy, emulsified sauce. Continue tossing until the sauce is smooth and coats the spaghetti beautifully. Be careful not to scramble the eggs.

Add most of the crispy guanciale back into the pasta and toss to combine. Serve the Spaghetti alla Carbonara immediately in warm bowls. Garnish each serving with extra crispy guanciale, a generous sprinkle of freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, and more freshly ground black pepper.