Spaghetti alla Carbonara: The Traditional Italian Recipe
This traditional carbonara recipe was created in the Lazio region (the area around Rome) in the middle of the 20th century, after World War II. We don't use cream, milk, garlic, onions, or other extra ingredients; we use only guanciale, eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, and lots of black pepper (carbonaro is Italian for coal miner). This isn't the Italian-American version, it's the real, creamy carbonara and it comes right from Italy, where I live. Buon appetito.
Gallery
Recipe Summary
Ingredients
Directions
Cook's Note:
Guanciale, dry-cured pork jowl, is available from specialty markets. Substitute unsmoked bacon or pancetta for the guanciale if desired.
Use Italian pasta for best results. Substitute bucatini for the spaghetti if preferred.
Substitute Parmesan cheese for the Pecorino Romano if desired.
Tip: Ask somebody to hold the pot so you can stir pasta quickly while pouring the egg mixture over it.
Editor's Note:
Please note the addition of reserved pasta water when using the magazine version of this recipe.