Flavors · Rome

Spaghetti alla carbonara

Pasta seasoned with egg yolk, toasted guanciale, pecorino romano and freshly ground black pepper. The cream forms from the heat of the pasta, without heavy cream. Although the origin is debated, it is one of the dishes that identify Roman cuisine.

Traditional dish from Rome, Lácio

Also known as: carbonara, pasta alla carbonara, rigatoni alla carbonara

Updated November 2026

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Spaghetti alla carbonara — Rome, Italy — Spaghetti alla carbonara

Spaghetti alla carbonara — Rome, Italy

Carbonara is made with long pasta, like spaghetti, or short pasta, like rigatoni. Guanciale, the cured pork cheek, is cut into strips and browned in the pan until it releases its fat. Separately, egg yolks are beaten with grated pecorino romano and plenty of black pepper. The cooked pasta goes into the pan with the guanciale and, off the heat, receives the egg mixture, which thickens with the heat and a little of the cooking water until it forms a cream. The key is not to let the egg curdle. The Roman recipe does not use heavy cream, garlic or onion.

The origin is uncertain and much debated. One hypothesis links the dish to the end of World War II, when powdered eggs and bacon from Allied rations may have entered Italian kitchens. Another connects it to older dishes from Lazio and Abruzzo that combined eggs and cheese. The first recipe published in Italy appeared in 1954 in a cooking magazine and still included garlic and gruyère cheese. The form considered classic, with yolk, guanciale, pecorino and pepper, was established later.

In Rome, carbonara forms a group with three other traditional pasta dishes: cacio e pepe, made only with pecorino and pepper; gricia, with guanciale, pecorino and pepper; and amatriciana, which adds tomato. The four frequently appear in the city’s trattorias.

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Where it comes from

Rome , Lácio
A dish associated with Roman cuisine, served in the city’s trattorias alongside cacio e pepe, gricia and amatriciana.

Ingredients

Spaghetti or rigatoni, guanciale, egg yolks, pecorino romano and black pepper.

How it is eaten

Hot, immediately after it’s made, as a first course. Grated pecorino can be served on the side.

When it is eaten

All year round, at lunch or dinner.

Your questions

Questions about Spaghetti alla carbonara

Does carbonara use heavy cream?

In the Roman recipe, no. The cream forms from the yolks, the pecorino and the pasta cooking water.

Was carbonara born in Rome?

The origin is debated. The most cited hypothesis links the dish to the end of World War II, and the first recipe published in Italy dates to 1954. Today it is one of the dishes that identify Roman cuisine.

What is the difference between carbonara, gricia and cacio e pepe?

Cacio e pepe uses only pecorino and pepper. Gricia adds guanciale. Carbonara adds egg yolks as well.

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