I'm a terrible cook and even I could make this Michelin-starred chef's favorite spaghetti recipe

Anneta KonstantinidesJul 30, 2020, 04:24 IST

Insider

I've never been much of a cook, but I've tried to use these last few months to get more comfortable in the kitchen.
So when Michelin-starred chef Josh Emett told me about Giorgio Locatelli's recipe for spaghetti alla carbonara, I knew I had to try it.
Emett told me the simple dish takes just 10 minutes to make and is "a must-have in any cook's repertoire."
Even with a few bumps along the way, I discovered that this dish is both foolproof and delicious.

Cooking has never really been my strong suit.

For the bulk of my early 20s, "making dinner" really just meant stuffing some cheese in a tortilla and popping it in the microwave. I've burned instant chow mein to a crisp. And baking? Forget about it!

But I've tried to use these last few months to get more comfortable in the kitchen. So when Michelin-starred chef Josh Emett told me about Giorgio Locatelli's recipe for spaghetti alla carbonara — which he called a "must-have in any cook's repertoire" — I decided to make it my next personal test.

Even with a couple of bumps along the way, I ended up making one very delicious plate of pasta — proving that this recipe is both foolproof and Michelin-chef approved.

Giorgio Locatelli's recipe for spaghetti alla carbonara is featured in Josh Emett's cookbook "The Recipe."

I first learned about the recipe from Josh Emett's cookbook. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Emett made the dish sound so easy, and the 10-minute cooking time was even more appealing.

Giorgio Locatelli's spaghetti alla carbonara, as pictured in "The Recipe." Kieran E. Scott/The Recipe

Locatelli's carbonara recipe requires just five ingredients.

Locatelli’s carbonara recipe requires just five ingredients. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

It was time for the cooking to begin. First I brought a large pot of well-salted water to a boil, then added the spaghetti.

First I popped my spaghetti into a pot of boiling water. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I then melted a knob of butter in a frying pan and threw in the pancetta.

Then I started frying the pancetta. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

After those five minutes were up, I transferred the pancetta to a plate.

I put the pancetta on a warm plate. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The recipe then calls for putting your black peppercorns in the pan and crushing them with a meat hammer or the end of a rolling pin.

I used a mortar and pestle to smash the black peppercorns. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

It was here that I realized I had broken one of the cardinal rules of cooking: Fully reading the recipe before getting started.

I threw the peppercorns in a pan with some pasta water. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then it was time to prep the sauce, so I first grated some pecorino Romano cheese and added one whole egg.

Then I combined the pecorino Romano cheese with one who egg. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The recipe also calls for five egg yolks, so I separated my eggs over a small bowl.

I started separating the rest of my eggs, as the recipe only called for their yolks. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

As I began to beat the eggs, I realized I had broken another cardinal cooking rule.

My mixture was looking way too watery, so I added more cheese. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

After draining the pasta, I tossed it in the pan with my peppercorns and pancetta.

After the pasta was ready, I threw it in the pan with the peppercorns and pancetta. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Then I added my pasta to the bowl of eggs and cheese and began to toss it.

There was definitely a little too much of that egg and cheese mixture. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

The pasta looked absolutely beautiful (if I do say so myself).

The spaghetti alla carbonara tasted as good as it looked. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

And the carbonara tasted just as good as it looked.

The plate of pasta looked beautiful. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

I think it's safe to say that this pasta is 100% foolproof. It's earned a spot in my growing arsenal of go-to meals.

I'll definitely be adding this carbonara recipe to my repertoire. Anneta Konstantinides/Insider

Photos show how scrambled eggs can look different depending on how you cook them

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