Spaghetti With Guanciale, Pecorino Romano, Egg Yolk And Black Pepper* Recipe

Bring water to a boil

Fill a large pot with about 4–5 liters of water. Bring to a rolling boil. Add the coarse kosher salt (about 2 tablespoons).

Cook spaghetti

Add 400 g spaghetti and cook until just shy of al dente (about 1–2 minutes less than package instructions). Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Reserve about 250 ml of the starchy cooking water before draining, then drain the pasta.

Prepare guanciale

While the water heats or the pasta cooks, cut 200 g guanciale into roughly 1/3-inch batons (lardons).

Render guanciale

Place a large skillet or sauté pan over medium heat. Add the guanciale (no oil initially). Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders and the pieces are crisp and golden at the edges, about 7–10 minutes. If the pan seems dry and the guanciale is not releasing fat, add 1 tsp olive oil. Remove from heat briefly and keep the rendered fat and crisped guanciale in the pan.

Prepare egg–cheese mixture

In a medium bowl, combine 4 egg yolks and 120 g finely grated Pecorino Romano. Add 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper. Whisk vigorously until smooth and slightly thickened. Add a few tablespoons (around 30–60 ml) of the reserved hot pasta water to the mixture to temper it and loosen to a saucy consistency — the final mixture should be glossy and pourable but thick enough to coat pasta.

Temper and combine with pasta

Return the pan with guanciale and fat to low heat. Add the drained spaghetti to the pan and toss to coat in the rendered fat for about 20–30 seconds. Remove the pan from heat entirely (to avoid scrambling the yolks). Working quickly, pour the egg–cheese mixture over the hot pasta and toss vigorously with tongs or two forks. Add reserved pasta water, a few tablespoons at a time, until the sauce becomes creamy and clings to the spaghetti (use about 100–200 ml as needed). The residual heat from the pasta and pan will cook the yolks gently, creating a silky emulsion rather than scrambled eggs.

Finish with guanciale

Return the crisped guanciale pieces to the pasta and toss to distribute. Taste and adjust the sauce: if too thick, add a little more reserved pasta water; if too salty, a splash more water will mellow it. Adjust black pepper to taste.

Plate the spaghetti into warmed shallow bowls. Grate an additional 30 g Pecorino Romano over each portion and finish with a final grind of black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.