Ingredients 

• Broken spaghetti (spaghetti spezzati): 10–11 oz spaghetti, broken into 1–2 inch pieces
• Frozen peas: 10 oz (or 2 cups) frozen peas (fresh is great if you have them)
• Egg: 1 large
• Parmigiano Reggiano (grated): 1 cup (about 3.5 oz) + extra for serving
• Yellow onion: 1 large (or 2 small), finely chopped
• Pancetta: 5–6 oz, diced (use a nice fatty/meaty balance)
• Lard (sugna): 2 tablespoons (or substitute olive oil—see tips)
• Olive oil: 1 tablespoon (optional, to start the soffritto)
• Crushed red pepper: 1/2 teaspoon (or to taste)
• Fennel seeds: 1/2 teaspoon (lightly crushed)
• Salt: to taste
• Hot water or broth: about 3–4 cups, as needed

Instructions

1. Prep everything first.
   Break the spaghetti into short pieces. Chop the onion. Dice the pancetta. Set peas aside.
2. Build the flavor base.
   In a large pot or deep skillet, warm the lard (and the optional drizzle of olive oil) over medium heat. Add crushed red pepper and fennel seeds and let them sizzle for about 20–30 seconds.
3. Sauté pancetta + onion.
   Add the pancetta and cook until it starts to render and lightly brown, 3–4 minutes. Add the onion and cook until soft and glossy, 6–8 minutes, stirring often.
4. Simmer the peas.
   Add the peas and a ladle of hot water (or broth)—just enough to get things bubbling. Once it boils, reduce to a lively simmer and cook 6–8 minutes, adding a little more hot water if it looks dry.
5. Cook the pasta in the same pot.
   Add the broken spaghetti directly into the pot. Add more hot water as needed so the pasta can cook risotto-style in the pea mixture. Stir often to keep it from sticking.
   Cook until al dente and starchy/tightly coated (“azzeccosa”), about 9–11 minutes depending on the spaghetti.
6. Mix “cas e ov.”
   In a bowl, whisk 1 egg with 1 cup grated Parmigiano Reggiano until thick and creamy.
7. Turn off the heat and make it creamy.
   When pasta is done and the mixture looks saucy (not soupy), turn off the heat. Let it sit 30 seconds, then quickly stir in the egg-cheese mix, tossing vigorously until glossy and creamy.
   If it gets too thick, loosen with a splash of hot water.
8. Rest, then serve.
   Let it rest 3 minutes (this helps the creaminess set). Serve hot with extra Parmigiano Reggiano on top.

Tips & Tricks (for perfect “azzeccosa” creaminess)

• Off-heat only: Egg must go in with the flame off to avoid scrambling.
• Use hot water to adjust: A splash of hot water fixes thickness instantly.
• Texture target: You want it tight and clingy, not brothy—like creamy pasta that “sticks” together.
• No lard? Use 2–3 tbsp olive oil instead. You’ll lose a bit of traditional depth, but it’s still delicious.
• More porky flavor: Add a tiny extra spoon of rendered pancetta fat (if you have it) instead of more salt.