1. Bring a pot of salted pasta water to a boil. Cut off the yellow part of the guanciale fat and discard (because it’s bitter) and cut into 1/4” strips (if you’re using pancetta or bacon don’t worry about cutting off yellow fat).
2. Beat egg and egg yolks with Pecorino Romano and a sprinkle of fresh ground pepper and set aside.
3. Preheat a large pan until hot over high heat. Add your guanciale (or pancetta / bacon) and stir fry until fully cooked and crispy and then remove from a pan and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.
4. Whisk 1 Tbsp of the hot fat into the eggs which will temper them (make sure to keep the eggs moving constantly while you pour in the fat). Then strain the rest of the fat into another large pan, discarding the dark burned bits.
5. Boil the pasta 5 minutes less than the package directions (it will finish cooking in the sauce) and then transfer into the pan with the fat along with 1/4 cup pasta water (or more if needed). Add the pepper and cook over medium-high heat, tossing the pasta constantly in the sauce for 3-4 minutes (or until desired tenderness).
6. Remove the pan from the heat and pour in the egg mixture. Immediately toss to coat the noodles in the egg mixture (you need to move fast here because you don’t want the eggs to cook into an omelette on the pan!). Add the guanciale, toss to combine and serve with some more Pecorino Romano on top - enjoy!
