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Pasta Carbonara Is Your Go-To Weekday Dish
We’ve got traditional and vegan versions
Having just come back from Rome, I’ve had Pasta Carbonara on my mind, a simple four-ingredient dish with spaghetti, eggs, bacon, and parmesan. It’s all the more glorious because of its simplicity — so good quality ingredients really make a difference.
Since Italy is Italy, everyone you talk to is very opinionated as to the right way to make Carbonara (though Roman food isn’t as great as it was when I first started going there, decades ago, but that’s another story). Marcella Hazan points to variations on the dish, citing the American bacon-and-egg duo on spaghetti as having evolved during World War II with the presence of U.S. soldiers. When in Rome though, you’re more likely to find Carbonara made with pancetta or pork jowl — both sweeter and more subtle than bacon.
Rather than offer a definitive Carbonara, I’m suggesting two versions here — one made with aquafaba, the cooking water from chickpeas, which would make some Romans apoplectic. Yet we want to be inclusive here (and if you’re you’re not vegan already and you’ve read Michael Scaturro’s chicken story, this will likely be your pick.) We also want this to be an easy meal, which means if you don’t have spaghetti, make it with bucatini; no need to run to the store for ingredients. Here it is…
