Pasta Carbonara

Pasta Carbonara is a classic Roman dish celebrated for its creamy, rich sauce made without any cream. The sauce is traditionally created by emulsifying egg yolks, Pecorino Romano cheese, and rendered guanciale (cured pork jowl) with starchy pasta water, all tossed with spaghetti or rigatoni. Its origins are deeply rooted in the Lazio region of Italy, with theories linking its name to the charcoal workers ('carbonari') of the Apennine mountains.

🍳 View the full Pasta Carbonara recipe →

🍽️ Nutrition at a glance

This dish is high in both carbohydrates from the pasta and fats from the cheese and cured pork, providing a significant amount of protein as well. A typical serving contains roughly 600-800 calories, offering key nutrients like calcium, phosphorus, and B vitamins.

Nutrition breakdown

Calories	550 kcal
Protein	25 g
Carbs	55 g
Fat	25 g
Fiber	3 g
Sugar	3 g
Sodium	850 mg
Potassium	350 mg
Calcium	120 mg
Iron	2.5 mg
Vitamin A	150 µg
Vitamin D	0.2 µg
Vitamin B12	0.8 µg
Phosphorus	280 mg
Zinc	2.2 mg

Per 1 typical serving (240 g) · estimated, varies by recipe

💡 What's interesting

Culturally, Carbonara is a point of fierce culinary pride in Italy, where the use of cream is considered a major faux pas. Nutritionally, it's a dense, energy-dense meal that historically provided sustained fuel for manual laborers.