Rigatoni alla carbonara
- 10 MINS
|
- 12 MINS
|
- SERVES 4
If you’re lucky enough to know Gemma Plunkett, you’ll know her pantry is a place of deep comfort and quiet confidence. No fuss, no filler — just the things that get used, often. Among the tinned fish and very good olive oil, there’s one ingredient that gets special treatment: guanciale. She keeps it on a plate in the fridge, ready to be sliced and sizzled into something great. Like her Rigatoni alla Carbonara, which she kindly shared with us.
"I never measure the ingredients when I’m making carbonara at home, so the quantities below are an estimate for three people. Adjust them as you wish, follow along and enjoy." - Gemma
If you’re lucky enough to know Gemma Plunkett, you’ll know her pantry is a place of deep comfort and quiet confidence. No fuss, no filler — just the things that get used, often. Among the tinned fish and very good olive oil, there’s one ingredient that gets special treatment: guanciale. She keeps it on a plate in the fridge, ready to be sliced and sizzled into something great. Like her Rigatoni alla Carbonara, which she kindly shared with us.
"I never measure the ingredients when I’m making carbonara at home, so the quantities below are an estimate for three people. Adjust them as you wish, follow along and enjoy." - Gemma
Ingredients
- 300g dried rigatoni
- 100g guanciale, sliced into batons
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 whole egg
- ⅓ cup Pecorino Romano cheese, blitzed, plus extra for serving.
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Salt, for pasta water
Steps
- Start by bringing a large pot of salted water to a boil. While that’s happening, place the guanciale into a small, heavy-based frying pan over medium-low heat. Let it cook slowly so it turns golden, crisp and the fat renders out.
- Once the water’s boiling, add a generous handful of salt, then drop in the pasta and set your timer to a couple of minutes less then what the packet says. In a large bowl, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, Pecorino and plenty of black pepper. Slowly drizzle in the warm rendered fat from the guanciale, whisking constantly so it blends into the eggs.
- As the pasta nears al dente, scoop out about ⅓ cup of the cooking water. Gradually whisk this into the egg mixture to gently warm and loosen it.
- When the pasta is ready, lift it straight from the pot into the bowl with the eggs. Stir and toss everything together thoroughly, letting the heat from the pasta gently thicken the sauce into a creamy coating.
- If you’re feeling confident, you can set the bowl back over the pot of simmering water (making sure the bottom of the bowl doesn’t touch the water) and stir quickly to heat the mixture further. Done carefully, this makes the sauce extra thick and lush — but watch it closely so you don’t scramble the eggs.
- Finally, add the crispy guanciale, give everything a good toss and taste for seasoning. Serve straight from the bowl with extra Pecorino Romano, loads of black pepper, and ideally a nice glass of wine.
