"In Switzerland, the sauce for spaghetti carbonara is usually made with cream. In Italy, you would be shot on the spot for that, just like if you ordered a cappuccino in a bar after 11 o'clock in the morning. The creamy sauce is created by combining the guanciale fat with the eggs, cheese and starchy pasta water.

The original preparation for 4 people requires:

360 g spaghetti 240 g guanciale in one piece 1 whole egg + 4 egg yolks 200 g Pecorino Romano 50 g Parmigiano (aged for at least 24 months) Some black pepper, freshly coarsely ground (or crushed)

And this is how real spaghetti carbonara is cooked:

Carefully remove the spices from the guanciale, cut away the rind and cut into 1 cm wide strips, then into 1 cm cubes. Brown the guanciale cubes in a preheated Teflon pan over a high heat, never stirring. Only when the fat has liquefied and the underside is golden brown, stir and release the remaining fat. Switch the hob to the lowest heat and caramelise for at least 20 minutes. Then place the frying pan next to the hob to keep the cubes nice and crispy. In the meantime, finely grate the two cheeses and mix them together. Then add the spaghetti to the hot, salted water. Whisk the eggs well in a bowl (preferably plastic, as it doesn't heat up so quickly!). Stir in a handful of the cheese mixture and the ground pepper. If the spaghetti is still very 'al dente', drain it and reserve the cooking water. Pour the pasta directly into the bowl with the eggs. Leave to stand on the heat next to the hob for about a minute. Add the guanciale and 2 tablespoons of its fat. Mix everything together by swirling the bowl - preferably by hand. Then add a little pasta water. The magic of a perfect carbonara lies in catching the right moment when the eggs, cheese and guanciale fat emulsify with the pasta water and the gluten of the spaghetti. Spoon into warmed plates and sprinkle with the remaining cheese and more pepper."