Pasta with Porcini, Guanciale and Peas

Method

1. Finely dice the shallot, crush the garlic clove in its skin, dice the carrot into small cubes, quarter the tomatoes, and cut the guanciale into batons. Separate porcini stems from caps; dice the stems finely and cut the caps into larger pieces.
2. In a pan, heat extra virgin olive oil and add the garlic and shallot. Cook on low heat until the shallot becomes translucent.
3. Increase the heat, add the guanciale, and cook until it releases its fat and becomes translucent.
4. Add the diced carrot and tomatoes, sauté briefly, and season with pepper and a little salt.
5. Remove the garlic clove if desired.
6. Add the diced porcini stems to the pan, add a pinch of salt to help extract their liquid, and cook over medium-high heat.
7. After 4–5 minutes, add the peas (fresh or frozen). If using frozen, cook until thawed and then continue.
8. After a couple of minutes, add the porcini caps. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 8–10 minutes, adjusting time based on mushroom maturity. Mix gently to avoid breaking the caps.
9. Cover with the lid slightly open and cook until vegetables are tender, using the liquid released by the mushrooms and peas. If too dry, add half a glass of water.
10. Once the sauce is ready, turn off the heat, cover, and let it rest for a few minutes.
11. For the pasta: per 100g of pasta use 1 liter of water and 7–10g of coarse salt. Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat, add the salt, and add the pasta. Stir, cover, and keep the heat low, maintaining a gentle simmer at or above 95°C. Cook according to package time, stirring occasionally.
12. When the pasta is almost done, take some of the sauce and put it in a large pan. Heat over high heat.
13. Drain the pasta al dente, reserving the pasta water. Transfer the pasta to the pan with the sauce.
14. Add a little pasta water and sauté over high heat to emulsify and harmonize the temperatures.
15. Turn off the heat. Add the grated pecorino cheese and chopped parsley. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil and mix well.
16. Serve immediately.