Hi, I am Italian and living in Italy.

I fully endorse astridinaz's comment. He is perfectly right about peas, garlic, pecorino and cream.

Actually the original receipe doesn't even mention bacon but "guanciale", which is lard from the pigâs cheek... anyway I don't feel any sensible difference between them: bacon is almost perfect.

Personally I am not against about experimentation and variations.

The most important thing I have to point out is that, looking at the pictures, it seems you have broken in two the spagetti to make them stay in the boiling pan. this is something to be avoided and it is totally unnecessary: in first place it makes them more difficult to be eaten: shortened spagetti cannot be easily twisted around the fork, and they "grab" less sauce when you twist them.

It is very difficult to do this with "shortened" spaghetti: http://comps.canstockphoto.com/can-stock-photo_csp1197428.jpg

and most of the sauce will remain in the plate.



in second place it very easy to cook them without breaking them:



1) Just put them in the hot boiling water like in this picture:

http://lh4.ggpht.com/-gYSTkAWjgFk/UAwu-kb1DSI/AAAAAAAABDo/U0Ufw4hhb2I/cdr-spaghetti-e-acqua.jpg



2) within 30 seconds, the submerged part will become flexible enough to allow you to push them all under the water without breaking them. Help yourself with a fork. you will see that it is easier do be done than to be told.



the "softening" of the submerged part very quickly: you will not feel any difference between the two parts that differ only in 30 seconds in cooking time.

This is not a trick: it is the rule of how spagetti should be really prepared.



Ciao



P.s: maybe you could find useful this video:

http://ricette.giallozafferano.it/Spaghetti-alla-Carbonara.html

there is also the "watch in english" button...





