You'll notice in the ingredient section there are a few options. Bucatine or linguine? The latter is easier to get hold of, but bucatine thanks to its central hole has a lovely textural bounce. This does however make it a little more delicate. As for the variety of cured pork you can use, guanciale is traditional but might be overpowering to some tastes - it's almost oppressively reminiscent of farmyards and pigs. Pancetta is a little less hardcore. Both of these can be relatively expensive and difficult to source; the supermarket "pancetta" in little plastic tubs isn't pancetta at all. If streaky bacon is all you have to hand it'll do a reasonable job. As for the cooking method, like the fantastic Molly Baz I highly recommend using a double boiler rather than a pan over a direct heat, it's a far more reliable way of getting that beautiful creamy carbonara sauce. Finally, a top tip: twisting the bowl as you add the pasta (rather than the tongs) helps get the nest effect people are into.