Pasta carbonara is the Romans’ answer to comfort food. It’s composed of a humble trio of ingredients—eggs, cheese, and noodles—which, with the elemental magic of heat and water, alchemize to create a glistening bowl of pasta that’s as restorative as it is comforting.
Crispy pancetta is a traditional ingredient in a carbonara, and its rendered fat adds salt and flavor to the dish. While less traditional, sweet peas add brightness and balance the pork in this recipe.
Bucatini resembles thick spaghetti with a hole running through the center, which allows the sauce to permeate the pasta and give it more flavor.(cristi180884/Shutterstock)
This carbonara comes together quickly, so it’s important that your ingredients are prepped before you begin cooking. The most important element is the egg and cheese mixture, which coats the hot noodles and creates the slick sauce that binds the dish. Add the whisked eggs and cheese to the hot noodles away from direct heat, stirring constantly to thoroughly coat the noodles. The heat from the pasta will help to cook the eggs, and the stirring will prevent them from scrambling. It may sound complicated, but once you give it a go, you will see how easy and foolproof this method is….