Pasta alla Zozzona

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot with water, salt it generously until it tastes like seawater, and set it over high heat to boil. You'll need this ready when the sauce comes together.
2. Place the diced guanciale in a cold large skillet and set over medium heat. Starting from cold helps render more fat slowly and evenly.
3. Let the guanciale cook until the edges turn golden and crispy, and plenty of rendered fat pools in the pan. This takes about 5 minutes — don't rush this step.

   ⏱ 5 min
4. Crumble in the sausage meat, breaking it into small chunks with your spoon. Cook until browned all over, stirring occasionally to break up larger pieces.

   ⏱ 8 min
5. Pour in the white wine to deglaze, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Let it bubble away until the pan looks almost dry again.

   ⏱ 2 min
6. Drop the pasta into your boiling water and cook until al dente according to the package directions. Taste a piece — it should have just a slight bite left.
7. While the pasta cooks, whisk the egg yolks in a large serving bowl with half the grated pecorino and all the black pepper. This mixture will create your creamy sauce.
8. Just before draining, scoop out 1 cup of the starchy pasta cooking water with a measuring cup or ladle. You'll need this to make the sauce silky.
9. Turn off the heat under the skillet completely, then drain the pasta and immediately add it to the meat mixture. The residual heat is all you need.
10. Pour the egg mixture over the hot pasta and toss rapidly with tongs, adding pasta water in small splashes until you get a glossy, creamy coating that clings to every piece.

    ⏱ 1 min
11. Serve immediately in warmed bowls, topped with the remaining pecorino and an extra grind of black pepper. This doesn't wait well, so gather everyone first.