Jason "JT" Tikao's Spaghetti alla Carbonara recipe

Comfort Food. In a bowl. That's what this is, like a warm blanket on a cold winter's day.

This delicious recipe for carbonara is a favourite for my wife and I to make together (well I try not to get in her way as I do my best to be the sous chef). We have this on special occasions like birthdays, random Saturday nights, or really just a day ending in a Y. It's that good!

Now my advice to make it even better is to get some garlic bread to serve with it. But I hope you try this recipe and love it as much as we do.

Ingredients:

• 2 large, very fresh eggs
• 60g (2/3 cup) freshly grated parmesan
• 80ml (1/3 cup) extra virgin olive oil
• 2 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 2-4 fresh red chillies, split and seeds removed
• 125g straight pancetta, chopped
• 500g dried spaghetti

Method:

• In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and grated parmesan until smooth. Set aside.
• In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil over low heat. 
• Add the garlic, chillies, and pancetta. Cook gently until the pancetta has released most of its fat and is lightly golden. Be careful not to burn the garlic - it should remain a pale straw colour. 
• Adjust the heat as needed so the pancetta and pasta finish cooking at the same time.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti until al dente then drain well.
• Return the drained pasta to the pot. Immediately remove the chillies from the frying pan and pour the hot pancetta mixture over the pasta.
• Quickly add the egg and cheese mixture to the hot pasta, tossing vigorously to coat the strands and create a creamy sauce.
• Serve immediately, with extra parmesan if desired.
• Enjoy!