Pasta Options:
Any kind of pasta can be used in this dish, as carbonara refers to the sauce itself. Many times you will see spaghetti-type pasta used to make this dish, but other pasta shapes can be used as well! Here are some ideas:
Angel hairBucatiniEgg noodlesFettuccineLinguine
No matter what type of pasta you choose, be sure to cook it al dente!
Cheese Options:
If you can’t find any pecorino romano cheese, you can replace it with:
Parmigiano ReggianoParmesanAsiagoGrana Padano
Can I Make This Dish If I’m Allergic To Eggs?
There are a lot of eggs in authentic pasta carbonara. Check out our recipe for eggless spaghetti carbonara if you’re allergic to eggs or simply don’t want to use them!
Does Authentic Carbonara Have Cream?
One of the defining features of this dish is the creamy sauce. Don’t be fooled: authentic carbonara pasta does not include any added cream or milk! The thick and velvety texture of the sauce comes from the eggs.
What Meat Is Traditionally Used In Authentic Pasta Carbonara?
The most authentic pasta carbonara is made with guanciale, which is an Italian cured meat. If you can’t find it in the supermarket, you can also use pancetta or pancetta affumicata. You can also simply use bacon!
Troubleshooting: Why Is My Carbonara Goopy?
If you end up with a goopy carbonara, you probably added too many many egg whites. You can fix this by adding more cheese. Make sure to add it one tablespoon at a time, as you don’t want to overdo it on the cheese either! If you do, simply add a bit of pasta water (water drained from cooked pasta) to fix it. If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other delicious pasta recipes:
Creamy Chicken Pesto PastaTraditional Pasta Puttanesca15 Minute Shrimp Scampi PastaPasta Pomodoro
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