Guanciale + Arugula + Lemon pasta

• 200 g spaghetti or linguine
• 100 g guanciale
• 40–50 g Parmigiano Reggiano or Pecorino
• garlic
• chili
• 2 big handfuls arugula
• zest of 1 lemon
• butter
• ~1–2 tsp lemon juice
• lots of black pepper
• pasta water

1. Render the guanciale until crisp, remove it. Make sure you add it to the pan while it’s still cold.
2. aromatize garlic + chili in the rendered fat. Be careful to not burn the garlic so keep the heat on med-low.
3. then toss the pasta in the rendered fat with pasta water.
4. Optional: add a tiny knob of butter.
5. Off heat, emulsify in the pan with the fat + chili + garlic. Pecorino/Parmigiano and pepper, saving some of the cheese for the end. MAAKE SURE the cheese is done emulsifying before moving on to the lemon.
6. Add lemon zest first, then a little juice, and fold in the arugula at the very end so it barely wilts.
7. Put the crispy guanciale back on top.