Carbonara

Method

1. Bring a large pan of water to the boil and salt it lightly — Pecorino and guanciale are both salty, so go easier than usual. Cut 50 g guanciale into 5 mm strips or small cubes, keeping the fat on.
2. Put the guanciale in a cold, dry frying pan (no oil — the fat is the fat of the dish) and set over medium-low heat. Fry gently for 6-8 minutes, stirring, until the fat has rendered into a clear pool and the meat is golden and crisp at the edges but not hard. Turn off the heat and leave the pan on the hob.
3. Meanwhile drop 110 g spaghetti into the boiling water and cook for about 9 minutes, or 1 minute short of the packet time, until properly al dente. Before draining, ladle out a mugful of the cloudy cooking water.