Spaghetti alla Carbonara, South Tyrolean style

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 500 g spaghetti or bucatini
• 200 g South Tyrolean speck, diced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper, coarsely crushed black
• 5 eggs
• 250 ml sweet cream, possibly 15% fat content
• 150 g Pecorino Romano, freshly grated

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 10 minutes; Total time approx. 25 minutes

Here is my favorite recipe for this dish. Spaghetti alla Carbonara translates as “in the charcoal burner’s wife’s style.” Charcoal burners used to make charcoal in charcoal kilns in the forest. The resulting ash is represented here by generous amounts of black pepper. Cook the spaghetti in salted water until al dente. In the meantime, fry the diced bacon in olive oil. In a tall bowl, use an immersion blender to whisk the eggs, cream, half the cheese, and plenty (!!) of black pepper. Drain the spaghetti, return it to the hot pot, and mix with the hot bacon. Pour the egg mixture over it, mix, and serve immediately. Serve with the remaining cheese. A good wine to accompany this would be an South Tyrolean Gewürztraminer or a dark Lagrein. This recipe is enough as a starter for 6-8 people.