Authentic Italian Spaghetti alla Carbonara.
Spaghetti alla carbonara is probably 'the' most well known Italian pasta recipe. Well, maybe alongside spaghetti bolognese! And like spaghetti bolognese, it has been reinvented a thousand times outside of Italy. Of course, different versions of carbonara are good too. But the original recipe really needs nothing added to it because it's delicious as is!
Some alternative alla carbonara history!
Like so many other Italian dishes, carbonara has a disputed history. The most commonly accepted theory is that it probably originated in or near Rome in the Italian region of Lazio. But how is the question!
Theory no 1; It is believed that Umbrian coal men called ‘carbonari’ ate it themselves and introduced it to the Romans when they came to sell charcoal to them.
Theory no 2; It has also been said that carbonara was named for the ‘Carbonari’ a secret society in existence during the time of Italian unification (Dan Brown take note!)
Theory no 3, which to me may have merit since published carbonara recipes date only from the second war onwards, is that it developed as a result of the demands of American soldiers stationed in Rome after the city’s liberation in 1944 and the fact that these very soldiers supplied the Romans with bacon and eggs.
How do Italians make alla carbonara?
Whatever its origins, it's certain that alla carbonara has become a worldwide favourite pasta dish – although one that has many non-Italian versions!
I have always called spaghetti carbonara ‘Italian bacon and eggs’ because basically that’s what it is; eggs, bacon, pasta, grated cheese and pepper. I think it’s the combination of bacon and eggs that makes this one of the most popular pasta dishes in the West, especially with the British and the Americans.
No vegetables! No cream!
Over time, authentic Italian carbonara has been altered by the British, the Americans and others. I did a little experiment and searched through Instagram posts hash-tagged #carbonara. Needless to say, I found a zillion variations including ingredients such as cream (lots of cream, sometimes the pasta is swimming in it!), peas, leeks, broccoli, tomatoes and mushrooms. It seems that these additions have become so common in America and England that it’s now considered the norm to make this dish with some kind of vegetable and cream. In Italy, it really isn’t!
Like many Italian pasta dishes, alla carbonara is a simple dish with few ingredients. But, it’s the quality of the ingredients and what you do with them that make the difference. The majority of chefs agree that 'true' carbonara contains guanciale (pork cheek) and not bacon or pancetta. However, both make fine substitutes as long as they are quite fatty and cubed. Guanciale renders quite a lot of fat so you don't need to cook it in olive oil.
Mixing the pasta to combine the ingredients is an art and the quality of the cheese (Parmesan / Pecorino) and the pasta are significantly important. Black pepper is essential! Some Italians use only whole eggs, others use yolks. My hubby sometimes makes it with just egg yolks. This gives the dish an orangey colour! The general rule is one egg or egg yolk per person.
The Pasta.
Spaghetti is the usual pasta for alla carbonara. However, linguine, fettuccine, bucatini and rigatoni can also be used. Rigatoni is the second most popular pasta for carbonara in Rome. The recipe I used is one that my Italian hubby follows. It is also very similar to that of the late Antonio Carluccio who was the author of 20 books on Italian cooking. Mr Carluccio said in his own recipe book “Most people I know get it completely wrong! Either adding milk or cream or letting the eggs become scrambled!”
You can watch Antonio Carluccio making his carbonara on Jamie Oliver’s You Tube channel below.
Even if you normally make your carbonara differently, it's worth trying it the Italian way! I'm sure you'll love it!
If you do try this authentic spaghetti alla carbonara recipe, I’d love to hear what you think. Please write a comment here on the blog or post a comment on the Pasta Project Facebook page.
Your feedback means a lot to me!
Buon Appetito!
Other classic pasta dishes from on the Pasta Project.
- Pasta alla gricia
- Bucatini all'amatriciana
- Cacio e pepe
- Puntarelle pasta with burrata
- Romanesco broccoli pasta soup
- Spaghetti aglio e olio
(This recipe has been updated with new photos and text)
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Sophia says
I love carbanara! This looks so delicious and easy. Thank you!
Linda says
I love reading the history of it and now I need to make one myself. Always love a simple pasta with fresh ingredients like this.
Amanda says
Looks like a fabulous recipe! Love this information you give about the history of the dish as well.
Beth Neels says
I find the history of dishes fascinating! I just love this traditional Carbonara!
Susan says
I will vicariously live in Italy through you Jacqui! While I come from an Italian heritage, we have American-ized many dishes. This sounds like a perfect carbonara. Delicioso!!
Danielle Wolter says
i love carbonara so much. i mean SO MUCH! it might be one of my favorite dishes ever. so much wonderful flavor. I def have to try out your recipe!
Stine Mari says
I was just going to say I saw this cute old Italian man making authentic pasta carbonara like this, and then I saw you embedded that exact video! He's the best. I haven't tried it yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I'm not a huge fan of the cream version, so I'm sure I'll like the authentic version much better. And also; I would've loved to read that Dan Brown book!
Sophie says
Very informative post. I may want to create a vegan version of it. Loved reading it!
Kelly Anthony says
This looks simply delicious. I'm excited to try an authentic carbonara recipe because I've been eating wrong all along.
Gloria | Homemade & Yummy says
One day I would love to visit Italy. Until then, being able to enjoy the foods of the world in your own kitchen is great. We are pasta lovers. This sounds delicious.
Brian Jones says
An absolute modern classic that tastes divine... I suspect like you that the WWII theory plays a huge part in the success of the Carbonara as a dish although suspect that in parts at least it was bubbling under the surface prior to that. But hey who knows, a huge part of the fun of food is arguing where it came from 😉
kim says
Such a yummy recipe! I love this one!
Cookilicious says
We too love a pasta for dinner on a weeknight! Its so convenient!
Lisa says
Wow, I just learned so much about Carbonara that I didn't know before! And no cream! I'll definitely need to try this with some gluten free spaghetti or zoodles.
Lisa | Garlic & Zest says
This is seriously one of my favorite Italian dishes. I only make it on rare occasions, but it looks like tonight might be one of them! Thanks!
Sandi says
I love the step by step directions...I can't wait to try this recipe!
Heidy L. McCallum says
Hello, from America! Hope your day is going well. I am enjoying reading your wonderful posts on Pasta and their authenticity. My family is from Italy and I totally agree that many recipes do get altered here in America. So glad to see some original Italian recipes. Normally I usually head my recipes as American-Italian due to that fact. I can't wait to run this by my mom and family. I bet they would enjoy it.
Veena Azmanov says
This is one dish my family relishes and this is perfect for me to try this weekend.
Noelle says
sometimes you just have to skip the veggies and this recipe was perfect without it! Thank you for sharing it was perfect.
Meghna says
We love carbonara & ate it in Rome for the first time. Your recipe is perfect Italian & absolutely delicious.