Anchovy carbonara

A pantry-friendly riff on the classic Roman pasta, this creamy sauce combines garlic, olive oil, eggs, and Parmesan with melted anchovies in lieu of the traditional cured pork. The flavor is immensely savory and the recipe is arguably faster and more affordable than the alternative. The trick to achieving a perfectly luscious sauce lies in controlling the temperature of the pot as you mix the ingredients together--too hot and the eggs will scramble and the cheese will clump, too cold and you end up with raw eggs and unmelted cheese. After you drain the pasta, keep the pot off the heat as you build the sauce, then return it briefly to a gentle heat until it starts to come together.

Total Time: 30 minutes