When I lived in Rome for a year as an undergrad student I was lucky to find a Roman roommate whose apartment was in Trastevere. Her name was Grazia — later changed to Enrica — and she was force. Big personality, lots of opinions, robust laugh, tender emotions…she had it all. I learned the Roman way from her. And I love the Roman way.

I’ll never forget the time I went out to lunch by myself to a local, and very small, trattoria. I ordered a mysterious (to me) dish on the menu: Spaghetti alla Carbonara. It arrived glistening and full of black specks of pepper, with small chunks of some kind of meat. My first bite…the flavor was like nothing I’d ever tasted. A real trip, a real stretch, to somewhere new. Somewhere new and wonderful.

Some of my college classmates and I met a group of Roman guys who hung out at the Campidoglio. As a group, we toured around Rome, the guys showing us places that tourists never saw — out of the way restaurants in out of the way neighborhoods, beautiful pedestrian parks and hills, intimate cafes.

One guy, Massimo, lived with his parents in EUR. One day — a day without classes — he took us all to his parent’s apartment to show us how to cook Spaghetti alla Carbonara. By then, I had became a fool for Carbonara, and learned it was one of the quintessential dishes of Rome.

We sat around his family’s dining table, next to the stove. He began, with boiling water, sizzling guanciale, beaten eggs, and grated pecorino.  He pulled it together like a magician. I don’t remember taking notes, but I know that recipe precisely. Took it home with me, and have been making it ever since without an inch of change.

Here’s that beauty…it’s Rome on a plate:

Spaghetti alla Carbonara with Guanciale & Egg (for 4-5)
1 lb. Spaghetti
1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ lb guanciale, diced
4 large eggs
½ cup grated pecorino Romano cheese or more as needed plus extra to serve w/pasta
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. When boiling, season with salt, add spaghetti. While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. In a small skillet sauté the guanciale in a tablespoon of olive oil until browned, about 4 minutes. Set aside, reserve with oil in pan.
In a large serving bowl, break the eggs, add the some of the cheese, black pepper, and salt to taste. Mix together thoroughly. Add more cheese if needed to make a pasty (rather than thin & liquidy) mixture.
Just before the pasta is done, spoon out a cup of the pasta water and reserve. When pasta is al dente, drain and immediately add to the bowl with the egg mixture. Immediately, mix the pasta and eggs together quickly. Pulling the eggs through the pasta strands over and over. The hot pasta will “cook” the egg and the egg mixture will give the pasta a creamy coat of sauce. When you see the pasta has absorbed all the eggy mixture, add the guanciale with its oil & and mix through. Add a few spoonfuls of the reserved water if the dish is a little dry. Serve hot, passing around extra cheese.