Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil.

At the same time, in a large pan over low–medium heat, cook the pancetta until crispy and caramelised and the fat has rendered out — about 8 minutes.

Once cooked, remove the pork with a slotted spoon, leaving the fat in the pan, and set the meat aside. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting possible.

Add the pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Place a vessel, or glass in the sink to catch some of the pasta water. Drain the rest of the water.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, egg yolks, and parmesan to form a thick paste. Add a generous amount of pepper — I like quite a lot.

Add the cooked pasta to the pan with the fat and toss with tongs to coat.

Then add the egg mixture. Because eggs are sensitive to heat and you don’t want scrambled eggs, keep the heat very low and add a splash of pasta water at the same time.

It’s better to go low and slow here — you can always increase the heat gradually while tossing constantly so the sauce thickens gently. I like to add pasta water little by little as I go.

If the sauce starts to seize, remove the pan from the heat and keep tossing until it smooths out, then return to low heat.

You’re aiming for a sauce that’s thick enough to coat the noodles, but still silky — not a puddle, but not a paste either. Watch attentively, tossing and moving continuously.

Once the sauce reaches your ideal consistency, remove from the heat. Stir through the crispy pancetta, add more parmesan and a final hit of pepper, and serve immediately.