Servings: 4

1 pound "spaghetti" for BIG eaters (I use Chitarra from Rustichella. See notes.) 1 pound "spaghetti" for BIG eaters (I use Chitarra from Rustichella. See notes.)
5 ¼" slices of pancetta (I use Salumi. See notes.) 5 ¼" slices of pancetta (I use Salumi. See notes.)
5 large egg yolks 5 large egg yolks
2 cups of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (See notes.) 2 cups of grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (See notes.)
Fresh ground pepper (Lots.) Fresh ground pepper (Lots.)

Put a very big wide skillet over medium-low heat and add a bit of olive oil. You will be adding the cooked pasta to this so it needs to be big enough for everything.
Prepare the pancetta by cutting it into ¼" x 1" strips, nice and thick.
Add the pancetta to the pan and cover with a mess of fresh ground pepper. Like at least a tablespoon.
Slowly cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, in the skillet so that it renders some of its fat, resulting in a mixture of slightly crunchy pieces and softer chewy pieces. This will take 20 minutes or so. If you are in a hurry, you can cover the pan to help things along, but check frequently.
While the pancetta slowly cooks, separate the eggs into two bowls, putting aside the whites for another use.
Also use this time to grate the cheese as fine as possible to make melting it in easier.
Add 1 cup of the cheese to the egg yolks and mix it all up.
And put a big pot of water on for the pasta and bring it to a boil. See notes.
Once the pancetta is done, turn the heat to very, very low or off - and tell people to keep their grubby hands off it.
Once water is boiling, add the pasta and 1 tablespoon of salt at most. Set a timer to the shortest time listed on the package. See the notes about removing extra water from the pot.
Once the timer goes off, check that the pasta is almost ready (tiny amount of white the middle is okay) and using a pasta fork, transfer the pasta to the pancetta skillet.
Mix the pasta and pancetta to cover the pasta with the oil.
Add the egg+cheese mixture to the pasta, stirring to spread the eggs throughout the dish completely.
At this point you will add some water from the pasta pot and stir it in. Keep adding until the dish is nice and saucy. Note that it will thicken up pretty quickly once served. So a little bit too watery is okay, and you can always add some extra cheese if you go too far.
If desired - and it is desired - add some more pepper and stir it up.
Serve immediately - it will get gooey fast - extra cheese and pancetta bits on top.

Pasta: I use Rustichella brand Chitarra but a medium thick spaghetti will be fine. Do not use trendy Bucatini nor thin spaghetti as sauce ratio will be off. Definitely do not use fresh pasta as it will absorb the sauce and become a clumpy mess. Note that cooking the pasta "al dente" is really important in this recipe because it will get cooked a bit longer with the sauce. So take it out while it is still a bit underdone.  Pasta: I use Rustichella brand Chitarra but a medium thick spaghetti will be fine. Do not use trendy Bucatini nor thin spaghetti as sauce ratio will be off. Definitely do not use fresh pasta as it will absorb the sauce and become a clumpy mess. Note that cooking the pasta "al dente" is really important in this recipe because it will get cooked a bit longer with the sauce. So take it out while it is still a bit underdone.
Pancetta: I use Salumi brand which comes in a 6" roll and has a nice level of spice and is nice a thick. Old school Italians use guanciale which is pig jowl and has a distinctive taste, but it is hard to find and pricey.  Pancetta: I use Salumi brand which comes in a 6" roll and has a nice level of spice and is nice a thick. Old school Italians use guanciale which is pig jowl and has a distinctive taste, but it is hard to find and pricey.
Cheese: You can use any cheese for this and many recipes combine Parmigiano with stronger cheeses. Don't waste money using an aged cheese with all those tasty crystals. It's all getting melted anyway.  Cheese: You can use any cheese for this and many recipes combine Parmigiano with stronger cheeses. Don't waste money using an aged cheese with all those tasty crystals. It's all getting melted anyway.
Pasta Water: For many recipes you will be adding "pasta water" toward the end of the recipe. The goal is to add liquid to make a more saucy sauce AND to add starch from the pasta to thicken and bind everything. So get the water at the very end of cooking so that is as starchy as possible. While using tons of water makes it easy to stir the pasta, it also makes for less starchy water. I like to start with lots of water and then once the pasta is all in and bendy - 15 seconds - remove as much water as possible while keeping the pasta covered plus 1 inch.  Pasta Water: For many recipes you will be adding "pasta water" toward the end of the recipe. The goal is to add liquid to make a more saucy sauce AND to add starch from the pasta to thicken and bind everything. So get the water at the very end of cooking so that is as starchy as possible. While using tons of water makes it easy to stir the pasta, it also makes for less starchy water. I like to start with lots of water and then once the pasta is all in and bendy - 15 seconds - remove as much water as possible while keeping the pasta covered plus 1 inch.
Salt: Be aware to not make your cooking water too salty or that final addition of water could make the meal too salty. The Pancetta already has lots of salt.  Salt: Be aware to not make your cooking water too salty or that final addition of water could make the meal too salty. The Pancetta already has lots of salt.