Heat the oil in a large frying pan over a low heat. When it begins to shimmer, add the guanciale and cook, stirring, until golden brown – about 8-10 minutes. Set aside.
1 tsp Extra Virgin olive oil, 200 g guanciale
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over a high heat. Salt the water. When the salt has dissolved, add the pasta and cook until al dente.
500 g spaghetti
Transfer the pasta to the pan with the guanciale, reserving the cooking water. Heat the pan over a medium-high heat, adding some pasta water. Swirl and stir the pasta as it finishes cooking. The sauce should be thick and slightly liquid, but not watery.
When the pasta is al dente, turn off the heat, add the pepper and half of the pecorino, then stir vigorously to combine.
1/2 tsp ground black pepper, 75 g pecorino romano
Plate the pasta and serve with the remaining pecorino and some black pepper sprinkled on top.
75 g pecorino romano, 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
Always serve hot
Notes
Note 1: The ground black pepper is including within the recipe (1/2 tsp) but a little more is required to sprinkle over the dish prior to serving.Note 2: Half of the pecorino is added in step 4 whilst the other half is used in step 5. In total the amount of Pecorino is 75 g and NOT 75 g per step.