Spaghetti Carbonara

Italy

About Spaghetti Carbonara

Spaghetti Carbonara is a classic Roman pasta dish of spaghetti tossed with crispy guanciale (cured pork cheek), eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese and black pepper. The eggs and cheese create a silky, creamy sauce without any cream.

The secret is mixing the hot pasta with the egg and cheese off the heat, with a little starchy pasta water, so the eggs thicken into a sauce instead of scrambling.

Carbonara probably dates from the mid-20th century, and one popular theory links it to American soldiers in Rome after the Second World War. Italians are strict about the recipe: no cream, no garlic and guanciale rather than bacon.

Ingredients

• spaghetti
• guanciale or pancetta
• pecorino romano
• parmesan
• eggs
• black pepper