How to make: spaghetti alla carbonara

Eggs and bacon – the core components of the traditional “Full English” – are a marriage made in heaven. Carbonara sauce is built around both – but, for me, the real star of this simple dish is parmesan, and this is my version of it. Arguments rage over whether the inclusion of cream in a carbonara sauce is “authentic”.

As the tangled tale of macaroni cheese demonstrates, however, “authenticity” is a slippery topic. While there have been attempts to link the origin of the dish to a group of early 19th century Italian freedom fighters who called themselves Carbonari (“charcoal men”), there’s no record of the dish before the mid- 1940s. It appears to have been taken to the US by American troops returning after the war, and it seems likely that it had been created in Italy from rations of bacon and eggs shipped from the US. The “carbon” in the name is believed to relate to the generous quantities of black pepper which speckle the surface.

There are many variations on the basic recipe of eggs, bacon, pasta and pepper. Some use whole eggs, some just the yolks. There are those with cream and without. Jamie Oliver even adds white wine to his. I’ve experimented to arrive at a recipe I like. Given the improvisational origin of this dish – and of most dishes, truth be told – you should feel free to do the same. It’s commonly served with spaghetti, but linguine or tagliatelle (especially egg tagliatelle) are also good.

Ingredients:

■ 200g dry spaghetti

■ 4 free range egg yolks, at room temperature

■ 4 rashers of outdoor reared, smoked streaky bacon, cut into matchsticks

■ 1 clove of garlic

■ 1 tbsp double cream

■ 50g freshly grated Parmigano-Reggiano

■ 1 tbsp olive oil

■ black pepper

■ Serves 2

Method

■ In a pot, heat a large volume of water for the pasta. Place the egg yolks and cream in a measuring jug and whisk together, then stir in the grated parmesan and a good twist of black pepper. Don’t add salt at this stage – the cheese and bacon are often salty enough. Set aside.

■ In a large, heavy-bottomed pan heat the olive oil. Crush the garlic clove with the flat of a knife and let it sizzle gently in the oil, taking care not to burn. Add the chopped bacon and fry until crisp. Remove the garlic and discard. Turn off the heat.

■ Salt the water for the pasta, and add the spaghetti. Return to the boil, stirring once to prevent sticking, then cook according to pack instructions (about ten minutes).

■ Drain the pasta, turn it into the dish with the bacon, and toss thoroughly. Pour over the egg mixture and stir immediately. The heat from the pasta should cook the egg just enough for it to thicken slightly. (If you use whole eggs – or especially whole eggs and cream – you may need to apply some very gentle heat at this stage. But be careful – if it overheats, you’ll end up with spaghetti, bacon and scrambled egg.)

■ Check seasoning and serve immediately, piling into bowls with shavings of parmesan and a good few twists of black pepper.