How about tasting the real carbonara pasta recipe!

This pasta dish of Roman origin called Pasta alla Carbonara in Italian (literally, “charcoal pasta”) opens many debates as to its origins and composition.

Some believe their inventors are charcoal burners who once made charcoal in Italy. Needing a nutritious dish to get them done in the winter, they invented a meal using the few foods they had on hand: pasta, salt pork, cheese, and eggs.

For others, this recipe was born during WWII in Rome at the time of the American presence …

One thing is certain, there is only one real recipe.

So how do you prepare carbonara pasta?

The only ingredients this recipe deserves are pasta, eggs, guanciale (dried pork cheek, possibly replaced with pancetta), freshly ground pepper and pecorino romano.

The latter, a Roman cheese made from sheep’s milk, is matured for a dozen months.

At the risk of surprising you, there is therefore no cream or bacon in the carbonara….

The secret to the recipe lies in mixing the eggs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl to obtain a frothy mixture. The cooked and still hot pasta is then poured into the bowl and mixed. The heat of the pasta will lightly cook the eggs to form a smooth cream that sticks to the pasta.

 Buon appetito!