Carbonara Fail

So I attempted to make Spaghetti Carbonara for the first time. And I emphasize attempted. I found a recipe online that seemed simple and pretty legit but what turned out was a salt fest. You could tell the potential was there but the sodium was intense. The only salt I added was to the pasta water, so my only thought is that the pancetta was super salty. I've read online that you can blanch it to remove some of the saltiness, so maybe I'll try that next time. Here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

1 lb. spaghetti
1/2 lb. pancetta (sliced 1/4 “ thick at the deli, and cut into lardons)
4 lg. eggs (locally raised and cage-free if possible)
1 Tbs. garlic, finely chopped
1 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, freshly grated
2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbs. finely minced fresh parsley
freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated parmesan reggiano to pass at the table

Method:

Put salted water on the boil for the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a very large skillet, saute the pancetta lardons in the olive oil over medium heat until the bacon has rendered much of its fat. You don’t want to cook the pancetta to the point of being crisp, it is better with a little fatty “chew” still left in it. Just before the pancetta is done, add the minced garlic to the pan and allow to cook until the garlic is golden brown. Set the pan aside to cool. (Allowing the pan to cool some at this point is important, because if the pan is too hot when you add the eggs later, they will immediately scramble, and not gently cook into the creamy sauce that is your ultimate goal. The dish will still taste fine if this happens, but it will look like someone gacked in your pan, so be careful.)

Grate the romano cheese and set aside.

Finely mince the fresh parsley and reserve.

Break the eggs into a medium sized bowl and whisk them till smooth. Add the grated cheese to the eggs and keep handy.

Cook the pasta to the maker’s instructions for “al dente”, and as soon as it is done, quickly strain it and toss it into the skillet with the pancetta, reserving a cup of the pasta cooking water to thin your sauce later if needed. Add the cheese and egg mixture to the pasta along with the parsley, and toss to coat. The heat from the pasta will gently cook the eggs, and melt the cheese into a luxuriously rich and smooth sauce. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add some of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen it. Check the sauce for seasoning before plating.

To serve, place the pasta into warmed bowls, top liberally with freshly ground black pepper, and sprinkle with some freshly grated parmesan.