Bring a large pot of water to the boil and season with the salt.

Place the egg yolks, parmesan and pepper in a small bowl and mix well with a fork to combine. Set aside.

Add the spaghetti to the boiling water and cook until al dente (I normally cook it for 2 minutes less than the packet instructions suggest, to avoid overcooking). Reserve 1 cup (250 ml) of the pasta cooking water before straining.

Partially crush the garlic clove using your hand. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat, add the garlic clove and cook for 1 minute.

Add the bacon and cook for a further 3–4 minutes until crisp and golden.

Remove the garlic from the pan. Add the cooked pasta and, using tongs, toss the pasta in the hot pan to take on all the flavour of the bacon and garlic.

Remove the pan completely from the heat. Allow to cool for at least 1 minute. Toss half of the reserved pasta water through the spaghetti, then pour in the egg mixture. The residual heat from the pan will cook the eggs gently rather than scramble them. Add more remaining pasta water until the sauce is at your desired consistency.