1. Blanch bacon. Put bacon in boiling water for 4-6 minutes to remove smoky flavor. Remove bacon from boiling water and plunge into cold water. Dice.
2. Start heating rendered fat on skillet while blanching. Add ground pepper to skillet.
3. Throw diced bacon into pan of fat. Drizzle with olive oil and liberally sprinkle with salt. Turn to low when starting to crisp.
4. Begin boiling pasta, 4-5 cups water for every pound of pasta.
5. Add dash of salt to boiling water, and then add pasta.
6. While pasta is cooking, whisk together the shredded cheese, eggs, and dash of ground pepper until mixture is smooth.
7. When pasta is al dente - or soft, with just a barely-there, toothsome bite- drain the water and return pasta to pot. Do not put pot back on heat. Save a cup of the pasta water for possible thinning of the sauce later on.
8. Immediately dump egg and cheese mix into pasta and toss. Add warm bacon and fat and toss. Allow egg mixture to cook and thicken; add the starchy pasta water as needed if sauce gets too thick. Do not return to direct heat and do not allow eggs to scramble.
9. Move into serving bowl (Tip; heat serving bowl to keep pasta warm) Garnish with pepper, salt if needed, and grated pecorino romano.
Serve.
Servings 0