Credit to and permission to share: Jeano
A culinary classic made the traditional way, never to be messed about with (yes, it DOESN’T have cream in it!) as there is no need to. Okay, this recipe may have been tweaked as we used tagliatelle as it catches more sauce and in our family in particular, reduces the chance of Dad dropping it down his front - gorgeous and practical (the pasta that is, just like Dad).
Also, simple, iconic and amazing.
You will need:
500g tagliatelle
4 egg yolks
160g guanciale (cured pork cheek) cut into thin strips (also known as julienne style – look it up)
120g freshly grated Pecorino cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
Salt
Water
Total time: 20 minutes
Serves: 4
Bring 6 or 7 litres of water to a boil in a pan with plenty of space. Add a generous sprinkle of salt.
Heat a pan over a medium heat, add the guanciale and sauté for 2- 3 minutes until crispy. Set aside.
Add the tagliatelle to the boiling water and cook until al dente (look it up - has a ‘bite’ to it).
Whisk the egg yolks add the pepper and whisk again.
In a separate pan, add some tagliatelle from the cooking pan, retaining a cup of the pasta water, add the whisked egg yolks to the tagliatelle, stir and add a little of the hot pasta water. The knack is to emulsify (mix - look it up) and coat the tagliatelle perfectly – the heat from the tagliatelle will cook the eggs, if the sauce is too thick add a little more pasta water.
Serve the tagliatelle immediately onto a plate/ bowl, sprinkle the guanciale then the Pecorino.
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