The History of Carbonara

Carbonara — the beloved pasta dish flavored with eggs, eggs, guanciale, Pecorino Romano cheese, and black pepper — is closely associated with Rome and the Lazio region, but its origins are hotly debated. It is sometimes considered a close cousin of the long-established Neapolitan dish, pasta cacio e uova, which dates back to at least the early 1800s and is made with melted lard, beaten raw eggs, and cheese. Due to the name carbonara, which is derived from the term carbonaro, meaning “coal burner,” it is also sometimes thought that the dish was created by or for men working outdoors for long periods of time. Another origin story claims that carbonara was created by American G.I.s during the Allied liberation of Rome in 1944; reportedly, the soldiers would bring their daily rations of powdered eggs and bacon to local restaurants and combine them with the limited Italian menus available to make more robust meals. We may never know the true origin of carbonara for certain, but we do know that the first written reference to the dish appeared in the newspaper La Stampa in 1950. The article specifically mentioned that the dish was prized by American servicemen and, indeed, carbonara is popular in the United States today as well as in its native Italy and many other parts of the world.