Steps
- 1
Cook the pasta in a large pan of boiling salted water according to the packet instructions.
10 min timer
- 2
Meanwhile, snap the woody ends off the asparagus, then slice the stalks roughly the same length as the pasta, halving any thick stalks lengthways.
- 3
Separate the eggs, putting the yolks into a bowl (save the whites for making meringues another day), then finely grate in the cheese and mix together.
- 4
Finely slice the pancetta, then place in a large non-stick frying pan on a medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and a generous pinch of black pepper and cook for 4 minutes, or until golden and crisp.
- 5
Add the asparagus to the pancetta for 3 minutes, then drain the pasta, reserving a mugful of starchy cooking water.
3 min timer
- 6
Tip the pasta into the pancetta pan, toss and stir everything together, then remove from the heat and wait 2 minutes for the pan to cool slightly (if the pan’s too hot, it’ll scramble; get it right and it’ll be smooth, silky and deliciously elegant).
2 min timer
- 7
Loosen the egg mixture with a splash of cooking water, then pour over the pasta, tossing and stirring vigorously – the egg will gently cook in the residual heat. Season to perfection.
- 8
Adjust the consistency with extra cooking water, if needed, and finish with a pinch of pepper and an extra grating of cheese, if you like.
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