Spaghetti carbonara is a popular dish for good reasons, it’s easy to make and is delicious.

There are arguably many ways to make a carbonara, but Rick Stein claims his recipe is “authentic”.

The recipe notes on BBC Good Food said: “This authentic spaghetti carbonara is easy, delicious and wonderfully creamy.

“But this recipe doesn’t actually contain cream so it’s more healthy.”

This recipe serves four people and is ready from start to finish in under 15 minutes.

Ingredients:

400g spaghetti

175g smoked pancetta

Two tablespoons of olive oil

Three garlic cloves, finely chopped

Handful of fresh flatleaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

Three large free-range eggs, beaten

50g pecorino sardo maturo, finely grated

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

Bring around 4.5 litres of water to a boil in a large saucepan with eight teaspoons of salt.

Add in the spaghetti and cook for nine minutes. Meanwhile, cut up the pancetta and fry it off until lightly golden.

Add the garlic and parsley and cook for a few seconds, then remove from the heat and set aside.

Drain the spaghetti once cooked and tip into the frying pan with the pancetta, garlic and parsley.

Add the beaten eggs and half of the cheese and toss together well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

The heat from the spaghetti will be sufficient to partly cook the egg, leaving it “moist and creamy”.

Take to the table and serve in warmed pasta bowls, sprinkled with the rest of the cheese.

If you don’t have pancetta, use smoked bacon lardons instead, according to Rick.