JOHN TORODE'S PERFECT PASTA

These recipes are all about friends, family and generosity. They're big, hearty dishes that should be served straight out of the pot at the table

Classic spaghetti carbonara

Serves 6 Prep 10 mins Cook 15 mins

olive oil, for the pan

600g spaghetti

2 tbsp vegetable oil

300g smoked back bacon or pancetta, cut into thin strips

1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

5 eggs

100ml single cream

100g grated parmesan, plus extra to serve handful of flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 Bring a large pan of water to the boil with a little olive oil and salt. Add the pasta and cook following pack instructions.

2 While the pasta is cooking, heat a large frying pan over a high heat and add the vegetable oil. Add the bacon and sizzle for 3 mins, shaking the pan well every minute or so to stop it from sticking. When the bacon is crisp, add the black pepper. Crack the eggs into a bowl and bust the yolks with a fork, but don't scramble them. Stir the cream into the eggs and set aside.

3 Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Return to the pan over a low heat and add the bacon and any fat in the pan. Toss well, keeping it on the heat. Cook for 1 min, then add the egg mixture and the parmesan and cook for 30 secs-1 min until the egg is just setting. Stir in the chopped parsley and serve straight away.

PER SERVING 679 kcals, fat 29g, saturates 11g, carbs 75g, sugars 4g, fibre 3g, protein 33g, salt 2.5g

How John cooks perfect pasta