DESCRIPTION
Here’s one of the best pasta dishes of all time—because it’s so good and yet so easy to make!
Ingredients
Units
Scale
- 4 oz. pancetta, diced (see note)
- 12 oz. spaghetti
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 large eggs
- 3 oz. finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 1 and 1/2 cups), plus more for serving
- 1 and 1/2 oz. finely shredded Pecorino cheese (about 3/4 cup), plus more for serving
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or more to taste
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil.
- Meanwhile, in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds.
- Scrape the pancetta mixture, including any fat that accumulated in the pan, into a large metal mixing bowl. Set the bowl near the stovetop to keep it warm.
- Cook the spaghetti according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, add the eggs, cheeses, and pepper to the bowl with the pancetta, whisking to combine.
- Drain the spaghetti, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then immediately add the drained hot pasta to the bowl with the egg mixture.
- Add 1/3 cup of the pasta water and toss vigorously until the cheese melts and a creamy sauce forms, adding more water as desired. Add salt and more pepper to taste.
- Serve with additional cheese on the side.
Notes
Note: Pancetta is an Italian style of bacon available at the deli counter at most major supermarkets. Ask for slices about 1/4-inch thick so it’s easy to turn into 1/4-inch dice. Sometimes you’ll see it already packaged as thin slices, which you can cut into pieces.