11 February 2020


INGREDIENTS

250g wild asparagus

250g guanciale

3 egg yolks

1 egg

50g grated parmesan + to sprinkle over at the end

50g grated Pecorino + to sprinkle over at the end 

lots of freshly ground black pepper

500-600g spaghetti

Carbonara

No onion please and don't over egg it!

SERVES 4

This shouldn’t take longer than forty minutes. 

TOP TIPS:

Go on the basis of three egg yolks and one whole egg for every four people and use a mixture of parmesan and pecorino.

A good tip is to cut your guanciale into batons first and to keep them in the fridge so that they are nice and cold before you fry them. This makes them more crispy.

STEPS

Cut the guanciale into thick 1/2cm slices then cut each slice into batons, again about 1/2cm. 

Clean the wild asparagus and chop each spear into several three to four centimetre lengths starting from the tip and working down the length until it becomes tough and woody. Blanch the asparagus in lightly salted water for a minute, then drain and set aside.

Break the egg and egg yolks into a large bowl and beat until they become smooth. Add the grated parmesan, pecorino romano and some freshly ground black pepper and whisk to combine.

Bring the pasta water to the boil, add the salt then add the spaghetti. 

Heat the guanciale in a frying pan on a low heat until it begins to render some of its fat. Turn up the heat and cook until crispy and golden before lowering the heat and adding the wild asparagus. 

When al dente remove the pasta using tongs and add it to the pan with the guanciale and asparagus, tossing (it) and stirring it in the pan to amalgamate the flavours.

Transfer everything to the bowl with the egg mixture and mix together quickly, coating the pasta with the egg mixture which will thicken slightly with the heat of the spaghetti. If you prefer the egg to be a little more cooked place the bowl over the pan the pasta was cooked in using it as a bagna maria and stir until the eggs thicken. Serve immediately sprinkling over some more pecorino and black pepper.


Carbonara