Ingredients

Preparation

1. Cooking the linguine: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the linguine al dente according to package instructions. Before draining, reserve ¾ cup of the cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta and reserve.

2. Preparing the carbonara sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the 4 egg yolks with 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese until smooth. Stir in the salted herbs and season generously with pepper. Set aside.

3. Cooking the bacon and aromatics: Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the bacon cubes and cook until crispy. Reduce the heat, add the shallot and garlic, and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant and lightly golden.

4. Finishing the sauce: Remove the skillet from the heat to prevent the eggs from coagulating. Quickly stir the egg and Parmesan mixture into the bacon and shallots in the skillet. Gradually add the reserved cooking water while stirring until you achieve a creamy sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add a little more cooking water.

5. Assembly: Immediately add the drained linguine to the skillet and gently toss to coat the pasta with the sauce. Adjust seasoning as needed.

6. Serving: Serve the pasta garnished with fresh basil, chopped chives, a raw egg yolk in the center (for those who enjoy it), and a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan. Offer freshly ground black pepper for your guests to add to their taste.

Tips

• For the bacon: For optimal texture, let the bacon rest on paper towels after browning to remove excess fat.
• For the eggs: Make sure the eggs and cheese are well mixed before adding them to the pasta to prevent the eggs from cooking too quickly and becoming lumpy.
• For the herbs: Using fresh herbs as garnish adds a touch of freshness and color that contrasts beautifully with the richness of the carbonara.