Pasta alla Carbonara Recipe

Spaghetti carbornara might be one of my favorite pasta dishes ever – anything combining cheese and pork gets my vote – but I’ve never actually made it. So I’m thrilled that Robin of My Melange has contributed her easy pasta carbonara recipe to my Italian recipe box! I think I’ll have no more excuses not to make this one at home.

One of my all time favorite classic Italian dishes, Pasta Carbonara, is possibly the easiest to make. Every bite is a creamy, salty, cheesy, bacon-y explosion in your mouth!

It is thought that Pasta Carbonara was created on the outskirts of Rome as a result of the American influence from World War II. American soldiers would make bacon and eggs for breakfast and the Italians ran with it and added it to pasta.

A kind of breakfast pasta, if you will. Those Italians are a clever bunch, no?

This recipe has become very Americanized over the years. You’ll often see things like cream, peas, onions, and even wine added to the dish. And while those additions might be delicious, authentic Italian they’re not.

The classic recipe calls for very few ingredients. Eggs, pancetta, cheese and a long, tubular pasta – such as spaghetti, linguini or bucatini.

And because there are so few ingredients, the key to success is using the best quality you can find and afford. Please – no pre-packaged shredded cheese here!

Pasta alla Carbonara

Pasta in Carbonara Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 pound tubular pasta (spaghetti, linguine, bucatini)
• 4 ounces Italian pancetta, cubed
• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 4 large eggs, preferably organic or free-range, room temperature
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/4 cup Pecorino-Romano cheese, freshly grated
• salt and pepper

Directions

• Put a pot of salted water on to boil.
• While the water is boiling, add oil, pancetta and garlic to a skillet over med-high heat. Saute and turn occasionally to make sure pancetta does not stick. When pancetta is browned, remove and discard the garlic, turn heat down and keep warm until needed.
• When water boils, add pasta and cook until al dente.
• Lightly beat the eggs and the cheese in the bottom of your serving bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
• When the pasta is done, drain well and add it to the skillet with the pancetta and toss.
• Transfer the pasta to the serving bowl with the eggs immediately and toss. The heat of the pasta and oil will “cook” the eggs.
• Season with more freshly ground black pepper and serve with some additional cheese on top.

What could be better than that? Well, maybe devouring the real deal in a Roman Trattoria. Yeah, well, there’s always that!

Buon Appetito!

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