Cacio e Pepe
Three ingredients, one technique: a glossy pecorino-and-pepper sauce that lives or dies on emulsion.
Italian
Free recipe
Spaghetti Carbonara
Silky Roman pasta bound with egg yolk, pecorino, and crisp guanciale -- no cream, ever.
In the kitchen
Method
1
Boil the spaghetti in well-salted water until just shy of al dente, reserving a mug of starchy water.
2
Render the guanciale in a cold dry pan over medium heat until the fat is clear and the edges crisp.
3
Whisk the yolks, whole egg, pecorino, and a heavy hit of pepper into a paste.
4
Off the heat, toss the hot pasta with the guanciale, then the egg mixture, loosening with pasta water until glossy.
Cook's note: taste as you go and adjust salt and acid at the end. Times are a guide; trust your senses.
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