Boil the spaghetti

• Bring a pot of water to a boil.
• Add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.

Crisp the guanciale

• Remove the rind and pepper part from the guanciale and cut it into thumbnail-sized cubes.
• Add the guanciale to a cold pan and bring the heat up slowly so the fat melts and the pork crisps.
• Keep an eye on it, as the guanciale fat has a low smoke point.
• Remove the crisped pieces from the pan and set aside, keeping the fat in the pan and warm.

Whisk the egg mixture

• In a stainless bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, pecorino Romano and pepper.
• Set aside.

Set up the double boiler

• Place the stainless bowl with the egg mixture over the pot of boiling spaghetti.
• Place a wooden spoon between the bowl and the pot to let steam escape and prevent it from getting too hot.

Make the sauce

• Whisk the egg mixture until it starts coming together.
• Add a small amount of pasta water to the mixture.
• Slowly whisk in three quarters of the reserved guanciale fat.

Toss the pasta

• Add the spaghetti to the bowl and toss over the double boiler setup.
• Add pasta water as needed.
• Add the pieces of guanciale and more pasta water if needed.

Serve

• Serve immediately with fresh cracked pepper and pecorino Romano on top.