Artichoke Carbonara

Method

1. Clean the artichokes: remove tough outer leaves, trim the stem, and cut off the tip; scoop out the inner choke with a knife.
2. Slice one artichoke very thinly (like paper) for chips; keep the rest in lemon water.
3. Heat 300 ml of seed oil in a deep pan. Fry the artichoke chips in small batches until golden and crisp. Drain on paper towels and set aside.
4. Boil a large pot of salted water (10 g salt per litre). Cook the paccheri (or other pasta) until al dente, reserving some pasta water.
5. In a skillet, sauté a garlic clove in a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the remaining artichokes (cut into wedges) and cook for about 5 minutes until tender.
6. Meanwhile, prepare the egg-cream: in a bowl, mix 2 egg yolks and 1 whole egg. Add 70 g of grated Pecorino Romano and a generous amount of black pepper.
7. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water (bain-marie) and whisk continuously until the mixture thickens into a creamy sabayon. Remove from heat and keep whisking until slightly cooled.
8. When the pasta is almost done, transfer it to the skillet with the artichokes. Add a splash of pasta water and finish cooking together for 2 minutes, allowing the pasta to absorb the flavours and create a light sauce.
9. Turn off the heat, wait 30 seconds, then pour the egg-cream mixture over the pasta. Toss vigorously, adding pasta water as needed, until the sauce is creamy and coats every piece.
10. Serve immediately, topping with extra Pecorino Romano, a pinch of black pepper, and the reserved crispy artichoke chips.