Bring water to a rolling boil and season lightly with salt. Cook the ramen until tender but elastic, avoiding overcooking, as ramen softens quickly in the sauce. Reserve about half a cup of cooking water before draining. Keep the noodles warm to maintain starch activity.

Place pancetta into a cold, wide pan and heat gradually. Allow the fat to melt slowly while the meat crisps evenly. Add the crushed garlic and cook just until aromatic. Remove and discard the garlic to prevent bitterness, keeping the rendered fat clear and clean tasting.

Lower the heat and add the drained ramen to the pancetta pan. Toss gently to coat every strand in the rendered fat. Add a small splash of reserved noodle water to create steam and loosen the texture without washing away flavour.

Turn the heat completely off before adding the egg–cheese mixture. Toss continuously so residual heat thickens the sauce gradually. Add reserved noodle water in small amounts until the sauce turns glossy and clings evenly without turning dense.

Continue tossing until the sauce looks fluid and coats the noodles smoothly. The finished texture should slide rather than sit stiffly. Stop mixing as soon as the sauce stabilises to avoid tightening from over-emulsification.