Carbonara is quick to make and relies on y0u knowing what you’re doing and focusing intently on the brief but pleasurable job at hand. It’s so quick that you can be eating it in less than half an hour of entering the kitchen.

Pancetta is most commonly used, but guanciale (pancetta is cured pork belly, whereas guanciale is from the pig’s cheek/jowl) is prized too. But we don’t all have pancetta or guanciale in the fridge, nor do many of us want to go to the shops to hunt down a luxury item at a time like this when it’s safer to stay at home. So, use bacon if you need to, and don’t beat yourself up about it.

Purists will blanche if you dare suggest that cream belongs in a good carbonara. Outside of Italy, however, cream is often used. In truth, it tastes great either way if you get the texture and flavour balance right. So use it, don’t use it, it’s your choice, your palate and, really, does it matter if it’s a joy to eat either way?

Method

Serves 2

250 g spaghetti, linguine, tagliatelle or bucatini, cooked al dente

2 thick slices pancetta or guanciale, about ⅔ centimetre thick, cubed small; or 100 g shoulder or streaky bacon, diced

Olive oil and a little butter, for the pancetta/guanciale

4 egg yolks

50 g grated Parmesan and more for garnish (or mature Pecorino)

50 ml cream (optional)

Black pepper

Ingredients

Set a pasta pot with plenty of water and a little salt on a high heat while you prepare the other ingredients.

Separate the eggs and plop four yolks into a bowl (refrigerate the egg whites to add to tomorrow morning’s scrambled eggs).

Add grated Parmesan to the egg yolks (and cream if using), and a good grinding of black pepper, and whisk together. Leave aside while you cook the bacon or pancetta/guanciale. Fry until crisp in 2 Tbs olive oil and a knob of butter.

Meanwhile, boil the pasta until al dente.

Turn off the heat on the bacon/pancetta pan. Blot up some of the fat with kitchen paper if there’s too much. Ladle the drained pasta into this and toss through so it’s all coated by the pancetta/bacon and its fat.

Pour in the whisked eggs/Parmesan and toss through, mopping up any sauce at the bottom of the pan.

Serve immediately with more grated Parmesan on top and a sprinkling of black pepper. No need to salt. DM/TGIFood

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