Spaghetti carbonara with bacon and artichoke puree

Trim the artichokes: remove the outermost leaves and the top half of the leaves, which will not soften enough to puree.

Simmer the artichoke hearts in water with a pinch of salt until very tender.

Cut the bacon into large dice and render it in a pan over low to medium heat until crispy.

Transfer the bacon to a tray lined with paper towel and save the bacon fat.

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente, still with a little bite.

Strain the artichokes, add about half a cup of fresh water and puree with some of the bacon fat until very smooth.

Heat the bacon pan over low to medium heat, add a few ladles of pasta water, then the pasta, bacon, artichoke puree, Pecorino, bacon fat and plenty of black pepper. Toss, adjusting the sauciness with pasta water.

Take the pan off the heat and let it cool a minute or so, tossing; once the initial heat is broken, add the egg yolk and stir in quickly.

Twirl onto plates (a carving fork works) and garnish with more crispy bacon, a final egg yolk, Pecorino and black pepper.