Spaghetti Carbonara

When you think of spaghetti carbonara, a Roman pasta dish built on eggs, cheese, cured pork, and black pepper. Also known as carbonara, it’s one of those meals that looks simple but gets ruined easily if you don’t know the basics. This isn’t creamy like Alfredo. It’s not made with cream at all. Real carbonara gets its richness from egg yolks stirred into hot pasta—the heat cooks the eggs just enough to create a silky sauce that clings to every strand. The magic happens in seconds, and if you wait too long or stir too hard, it turns into scrambled eggs. That’s why so many people get it wrong.

The core ingredients are few: guanciale, cured pork jowl from Italy, the traditional fat source. Also known as pancetta, it’s what gives the dish its deep, salty flavor. If you can’t find guanciale, pancetta works fine. Bacon? It’s a last resort—smoky and salty, but not the same. Then there’s Pecorino Romano, a sharp, salty sheep’s milk cheese. Also known as Romano cheese, it’s the traditional choice, though some mix it with Parmesan for balance. The eggs? Just yolks, sometimes with a whole egg. No cream. No garlic. No onions. No herbs. The pepper? Generous. Freshly cracked. That’s it.

You’ll find posts here that cut through the noise. Some show you how to make carbonara with just five ingredients and a skillet. Others explain why adding cream ruins the texture and how to fix a broken sauce. You’ll see what happens when you use cold eggs, or skip the pasta water, or overcook the pork. There are tips for making it ahead, for doubling the recipe, and for adapting it if you’re vegetarian (yes, there’s a way—without cheating). One post breaks down the science behind why the sauce emulsifies. Another compares the difference between guanciale and pancetta in a side-by-side taste test. You’ll find the simplest version that still tastes like Rome, and a few variations that surprise you without breaking tradition.

Spaghetti carbonara isn’t just a recipe. It’s a test. If you can make it right, you understand heat control, timing, and ingredient quality. It’s not about fancy tools or complicated steps. It’s about respect—for the ingredients, for the technique, and for the cooks who came before you. What’s below isn’t a list of recipes. It’s a collection of real attempts, real mistakes, and real wins. Find the one that matches what you’ve tried—and what you still need to fix.