Spaghetti Carbonara with Bacon and Parmesan

Method

1. Bring a pot of water to the boil, add 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, and cook 140g of spaghetti for 7 to 8 minutes, following the time on the packet.
2. Drain the pasta in a colander, keeping the cooking water for later.
3. Grate 50g of parmesan cheese finely, or cut it into very fine shreds with a knife.
4. Mix the grated cheese, 50ml of cream and 1 egg yolk in a small bowl and set it aside.
5. Cut 150g of bacon into bite sized pieces.
6. Heat the olive oil in a pan, fry 2 teaspoons of chopped onion or garlic until fragrant, then add the bacon and cook until the edges catch and the salty aroma comes up.
7. Add the cooked pasta and toss for 2 to 3 minutes, adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of the pasta water if it runs dry.
8. Take the pan off the heat and wait about 1 minute for it to cool before pouring in the cream, cheese and egg mixture, stirring steadily so the residual heat sets the egg without curdling it.
9. Sprinkle on 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper and the chopped parsley, toss through and eat while hot.

Tips

• The make or break moment is turning off the heat and letting the pan cool before the egg mixture goes in.
• A pan still fiercely hot cooks the egg into grains rather than a silky sauce.
• Bacon and parmesan both bring plenty of salt, so the sauce needs none added.
• Where parmesan is hard to find, shredded Cheddar works with a lighter saltiness that calls for more seasoning.
• Without cream, unsweetened oat milk at the same volume stands in, though the sauce runs thinner and clings less.