Artist's Palate: Richard Estes' Spaghetti carbonara

(Image credit: press)

last updated 18 October 2022

In our recent September issue (W*126), American painter Richard Estes tucks into a creamy, peppery spaghetti carbonara à la Buga. Here's how to make it.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)
500g spaghetti
water
250g bacon, fried until crisp, drained and crumbled
6 eggs
25g butter, cut into pieces
25g parmesan cheese, grated
Garlic salt and pepper to taste

Method
Beat eggs with garlic salt and pepper in a large bowl for three minutes. Cook spaghetti in boiling water until tender. Drain quickly and mix with eggs immediately. Add butter, cheese, and bacon and toss until eggs are cooked by the heat of the spaghetti. When butter and cheese are melted, serve at once.

Note: Have extra parmesan on hand. This dish can also be prepared by heating butter in a skillet and then combing the rest of the ingredients. The eggs will be firmer but the carbonara will not be as much fun to make!

Melina Keays is the entertaining director of Wallpaper*. She has been part of the brand since the magazine’s launch in 1996, and is responsible for entertaining content across the print and digital platforms, and for Wallpaper’s creative agency Bespoke. A native Londoner, Melina takes inspiration from the whole spectrum of art and design – including film, literature, and fashion. Her work for the brand involves curating content, writing, and creative direction – conceiving luxury interior landscapes with a focus on food, drinks, and entertaining in all its forms