Servings: 2
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook time: 25 mins
Ingredients
- 200g Monty & Sons Fusilli
- 80g guanciale or pancetta, cut into small pieces
- 1 to 2 Italian sausages, casing removed
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 150g tomato passata, or a few crushed peeled tomatoes
- 3 egg yolks
- 60g Pecorino Romano, finely grated, plus extra to serve
- A splash of dry white wine (optional)
- A pinch of chilli flakes (optional)
- Fresh basil leaves, to finish
- Freshly cracked black pepper
- Salt, for the pasta water
Method
- Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil and cook the Fusilli until al dente. Reserve a cup of the pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, place the guanciale in a cold pan and bring it up to medium heat. Let the fat slowly render and the pieces turn crisp and golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving all that rendered fat in the pan.
- Add the shallot and cook gently until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes.
- Crumble in the sausage and cook until browned and just starting to crisp. Add the chilli flakes here if using.
- Deglaze with a splash of white wine if you like, letting it evaporate.
- Stir in the passata with a small pinch of salt and simmer gently for 5 to 10 minutes while the pasta finishes.
- In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolks, Pecorino and a splash of hot pasta water until smooth and creamy.
- Toss the drained pasta straight into the pan with the sauce, adding a little pasta water, and stir over low heat until glossy and coated.
- Take the pan off the heat, pour in the yolk mixture and stir quickly so it turns silky rather than scrambled. This is the crucial step, off the heat means off the heat.
- Fold the crispy guanciale back through and finish with plenty of cracked black pepper.
- Serve straight away with torn basil, an extra grating of Pecorino and one more twist of pepper.
