Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 ounces of guanciale, pancetta or thick-cut bacon), diced
1 whole clove of garlic, smashed lightly
1 pound of spaghetti
4 large eggs
1 cup of grated Pecorino Romano cheese
1 tablespoon of black peppercorns, crushed
Additional grated cheese for serving

Directions

Beat the eggs and cheese together in a mixing bowl.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add in the pasta and cook according to package directions until firm (al dente). Reserve about 1/2 cup of the pasta water to thin the sauce. Drain the pasta well.

At the same time, heat the olive oil in the large skillet over medium heat. Add in the diced meat and the whole clove of garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta is browned and the fat is rendered. Remove the garlic clove. Add the crushed black pepper.

Immediately add the hot, drained pasta to the pancetta/garlic sauce. Toss to coat the pasta with the reserved pasta cooking water.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the egg mixture tossing quickly so the eggs thicken but do not scramble. (It is very important to do this off the heat.) Serve the pasta with lots of extra cheese