1 Cook the spaghetti in rapidly boiling salted water according to manufacturer's instructions, until al dente. Drain well (reserving a little cooking with water) then set aside to cool slightly.

2 Sauté the pancetta in olive oil in a frying pan over a medium heat for 3 minutes, until golden. Add the onion and garlic then fry briefly. Pour in the wine and cook until almost completely evaporated. Stir in the grated pecorino, season with salt and a generous amount of black pepper, and add ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.

3 Stir the pasta into the sauce, then crack in the eggs and beat well. Stir in the parsley, then serve topped with shaved parmesan.

Cook's tip: Carbonara sauce is rich and creamy due to the just-cooked eggs. Ensure that neither the sauce nor the pasta are too hot when stirring in the eggs, or they may overcook making the sauce dry.

Ed Halmagyi is a well known Australian chef, presenter, food writer and media personality.

This recipe first appeared in The Manly Daily.