Cookbook:Carbonara Pasta

This is a wonderful dish that is very easy to do. It does call for the use of raw eggs, which is not to everyone's taste. However, pregnant women should not eat raw eggs.

Ingredients

 * 4 free-range eggs with large yolks
 * 3 oz (65 g) fresh Italian pancetta, cubed into ¼–⅜-inch (0.64–0.95 cm) pieces
 * 1 sprig of fresh thyme, finely chopped
 * ¼ small onion, finely chopped
 * The minced zest of ½ a lemon
 * Salt to taste
 * Pepper to taste
 * Grated parmigiano and/or pecorino romano cheese
 * 12 oz (340 g) uncooked pasta (e.g. spaghetti or penne)

Procedure

 * 1) Put on the desired quantity of pasta to cook.
 * 2) Crack the eggs carefully, and separate the yolks from the whites—a good way of doing this is to run the egg through the almost closed fingers of your upturned palm, so as the white runs away through the fingers, and the yolk remains in your hand. Keep the yolks in a large bowl, and use the whites for another purpose. Remember to pick out the pesky little white bit that always remains behind on the yolk.
 * 3) Fry the pancetta on a lowish heat in a dry frying pan until it is crispy.
 * 4) When the pancetta is cooked, drain and allow it to cool for a few minutes before combining it with the yolks in a large bowl. Allowing it to cool prevents cooking of the eggs.
 * 5) Add a pinch of rock-salt and a very generous amount of ground pepper to the yolk mixture.
 * 6) Add the lemon zest, chopped thyme, and a small amount of the Parmigiano cheese.
 * 7) Drain the pasta through a colander, count to 10 to let the pasta cool slightly, and add it to the bowl with the yolk mixture.
 * 8) Mix it through with a wooden spoon and serve immediately, sprinkling the remaining Parmigiano cheese over the top.

Notes, tips, and variations

 * For the pancetta don't buy the ready cubed stuff, but the fresh, Italian version, with a little cracked pepper on the rind. If you really can't find it, smoked bacon will do.
 * Use yolks as fresh and as yellow as possible!
 * If you want to add a little chopped flat-leaf parsley (not the curly stuff) to add colour, go ahead.
 * Served with a simple green salad, it's delicious.