When you make it, you cannot cheat. You have to use real pancetta and good wuality cheese, and a mixture of whole milk and half and half. Timing is everything.

The big thing is to undercook the pasta just a bit because it will keep cooking when you mix it in with the carbonara ingredients. If you do it right, it will be served al dente...overcooked pasta can ruin an otheriwse fine carbonara, and that's my trick.