Artichoke Carbonara

Method

1. Prepare a bowl of water with lemon juice to prevent the artichokes from oxidizing.
2. Clean the artichokes: remove the tough outer leaves, trim the stem, cut off the spiny top, and remove the inner choke. Slice the artichokes very thin.
3. In a pan, heat a little oil with a clove of garlic. Add the sliced artichokes, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes until crispy. Remove and set aside.
4. Remove the rind from the guanciale and cut it into strips about 0.5 cm thick.
5. Place the guanciale in a cold pan and cook over medium heat until crispy. Remove the crispy guanciale to a plate lined with paper towels, reserving the rendered fat.
6. In a bowl, combine 1 whole egg and 6 egg yolks. Add a generous amount of black pepper and grate in about 180 g of Pecorino Romano cheese. Whisk until smooth.
7. Optional: Pasteurize the egg mixture in a bain-marie, stirring until it reaches 62°C (about 2 minutes), then remove from heat.
8. In the same pan with the guanciale fat, add the cooked artichokes and sauté for 2 minutes.
9. Cook 400 g of mezze maniche or rigatoni in boiling salted water until al dente.
10. Transfer the pasta directly into the pan with the artichokes. Add a ladle of pasta water and finish cooking the pasta, stirring, until creamy.
11. Remove the pan from the heat. Pour the egg-cream mixture over the pasta and toss vigorously to create a creamy emulsion.
12. Plate the pasta, top with the crispy guanciale, and finish with a generous grind of black pepper.