Spaghetti Carbonara

Place a large covered pot of salted water over high heat and bring to a boil. While it's heating, weigh out your pasta and guanciale.

Dice the guanciale and get it cooking in a wide shallow pan set over medium-low heat.

As soon as the water comes to a boil, drop in the pasta.

Cook the guanciale, stirring occasionally, until the fat is well rendered and guanciale pieces are crispy.

While the guanciale is cooking, shred the cheese and crack the eggs into a small mixing bowl. Add the yolks, shredded cheese and black pepper and beat until smooth.

If you’re planning to use them, chop the savory and zest the grapefruit while the guanciale cooks as well.

Once the guanciale is cooked, deglaze the pan with the chicken stock and add the chopped savory (if you’ve opted to forgo the stock and/or savory, simply skip this step), and reduce over high heat until the pan is almost dry. Turn the heat off and leave until the pasta is finished cooking.

Once your pasta is cooked, evacuate it from the pot and place it directly in the pan with the cooked guanciale.

Put the pan back over low heat and add the egg and cheese mixture. Stir constantly until you see the cheese melt and the sauce start to thicken, then immediately turn the heat off. Continue to stir until the sauce has reached the desired consistency.

Season to taste, and add the grapefruit zest if using.

Now just plate up, and enjoy! If you like, you could garnish with more shredded cheese and/or a light drizzle of good quality olive oil.