Pasta carbonara

Water

Bring 4 litres of water to the boil in a large pot and salt it generously.

Bacon

Cut the bacon into 1 cm strips and fry in a dry pan over medium heat until the fat renders and the bacon is crisp. Turn off the heat.

Sauce

Grate the Parmesan and set aside a handful for serving. Separate the eggs. Whisk the yolks with the whole egg, the cheese and the pepper into a thick paste.

Pasta

Cook the spaghetti for a minute less than the packet says. Before draining, scoop out a cup of the cooking water.

Combining

Tip the spaghetti into the pan with the bacon and toss. Pour in the egg mixture and 3–4 tbsp of the pasta water, and toss quickly with tongs for 1–2 minutes until the sauce is smooth and thick.

The pan should be hot but not over high heat, or the eggs will scramble. If the sauce stays runny, warm it over the lowest heat, stirring constantly, until it thickens. Always do this when cooking for children, pregnant women or the elderly.

Serving

Divide between plates and sprinkle with the reserved Parmesan and more pepper. Done!