Carbonara

I LOVE carbonara!! It's so simple with minimal ingredients and I feel like that always makes for the best pasta dishes. The following recipe makes enough for two really hungry people or three friends who feel like having a smaller portion!

What You Need

• 1/2 box of pasta - I prefer bucatini 
• 3-4 egg yolks, more if you want to top the pasta nests with egg yolks
• 1 cup shredded pecorino romano cheese
• 1 teaspoon freshly crushed black pepper
• 1 cup of guanciale (pork cheek) (pancetta or 4-6 slices of thick cut bacon work too if you're in a pinch)

What To Do

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and cook the pasta according to package instructions.
2. Separate the egg yolks and whites - discard the whites and keep the yolks.
3. Mix the cheese with the egg yolks in a large bowl until it forms a paste, season with a pinch of black pepper and set aside. 
4. Dice the guanciale into 1/4 inch cubes and cook in a skillet until done (about 10 minutes.) If you're using chopped pancetta, just cook it as is until crispy. If you're using bacon, slice the pieces into 1/4" cubes and cook in a skillet until crispy.
5. Put the freshly cooked pasta straight out of the boiling water into the large bowl with the egg yolk and cheese mixture and toss it around quickly, this movement will melt the cheese evenly and stop the eggs from curdling in the heat. Mix in the pork - I usually save a little handful of it for dressing up my pasta pile at the end.
6. Swirl the pasta into little nests and top each serving with more cheese, bacon and an egg yolk. (Add and break an extra egg yolk on top of the hot pasta for an extra luscious sauce.)