Pilato
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N°03 · italian · easy · 17 min · serves 4
Carbonara
Roman classic, finished in 12 minutes
Ingredients
- Pilato Penne Pasta250g
- Guanciale — or smoked bacon, diced120g
- Egg yolks3
- Whole egg1
- Pecorino Romano — finely grated60g
- Cracked black pepper1 tsp
- Salt — for pasta waterto taste
Method
Render the guanciale
Heat a wide pan over medium-low. Add the guanciale dry and render until edges are golden, four to five minutes. Pull off heat.
Boil the penne
Salt four litres of water heavily — it should taste of the sea. Drop the penne and set a timer for nine minutes. Save one cup of pasta water before draining.
Whisk the sauce
In a bowl, whisk the three yolks and one whole egg with the pecorino and cracked pepper into a loose, glossy paste.
Toss off heat
Return penne to the warm pan off the burner. Add the guanciale and rendered fat. Pour in the egg-cheese mixture and toss vigorously for thirty seconds, splashing pasta water to loosen until the sauce coats every strand. Never on heat — eggs scramble.
Plate and finish
Twist into nests in warm bowls. More pecorino, another crack of pepper, serve immediately.
Chef's note. Carbonara is not cream. It is not bacon. The silk comes from emulsion — fat, egg, starch, heat. Get the pan off the burner before you pour, and you will never make a bad one again.
The free Pilato masala sachet doesn't go in classic carbonara — but if you want a Roman-Indian twist, fold half a sachet through at the very end with the second crack of pepper. The cardamom and clove sit beautifully against the pecorino.