I want to eat pasta carbonara. I need a good recipe.

[ApolloandDaphne]

I am having a notion for carbonara. The delicious creamy, bacony sort you get in an Italian restaurant. I've never made it before. Can anyone give me a foolproof and unctuous recipe? Thanks.

@londonmummy1966

If you're in the West of Scotland that might explain the addition of gaelic by a PP upthread....

Have been known to make a travesty of spaghetti with bacon, egg and courgette as suggested by ODFOx but I've never dared call it carbonara.

DD's Italian penfriend wanted to cook it for us last time she came to stay and brought all the ingredients except the eggs with her as she wasn't sure she'd be able to buy the quality over here. (Being fair to her the first time she visited she did see the travesty that is ready made microwaveable risotto in the supermarket...)

I'm not in the West of Scotland. DH is from the west but we live on the east coast! No Gaelic here but much garlic!

Morrisons do quite a nice one for anybody who isn't a cook . (me) I was amazed how nice it was. Not up to restaurant standard perhaps but pretty good for what it is. With pepper and a few flakes of parmesan.

I love a grating of nutmeg in mine

Use tagliatelle. It's a northern dish so not spaghetti.

It might have been mentioned already but the BBC Good Good website has an amazing one. Its my go-to recipe.

@HotToddyColdSauvignon

Carbonara should not have cream in it!!! Scandal!!

Op, it’s crispy pancetta, eggs yolks, black pepper and spaghetti.

Make sure you turn the heat off the pan before you add the eggs, or they’ll scramble. Basically the heat of the cooked spaghetti warms through the egg yolk to make “creamy” sauce you’re thinking of.

If you want to be a heathen then add a dollop of cream or creme fraiche but it’s not the traditional way

Agreed only heathens put cream in carbonara 😱😱

Always add eggs and Parmesan off the heat

Leave a tiny tablespoon of pasta water in as well

No GARLIC

I made it and it was lovely. I possibly could have put a little more pasta liquid in but on the whole it was delicious.

Can't believe no one has said to use fresh pasta. The point of the dish is to celebrate the pasta, and dried stuff doesn't cut it.

Definitely no cream!

I prefer dried pasta

Use tagliatelle. It's a northern dish so not spaghetti.
I disagree. I've never seen it with tagliatelle- would be too eggy! Dried pasta is definitely better for some recipes.

www.bbcgoodfoodme.com/recipes/ultimate-spaghetti-carbonara/

This is the very best recipe I've found. I made it for my Italian friend and she was very impressed and called me the carbonara queen! Please don't use any of the recipes that include cream! Cream has no place in carbonara.

And it's not from the north, but from Rome I think. I'm now making it for dinner - the power of mumsnet. 😂

I always use Antonio Carluccio’s recipe - I think it’s on the Jamie Oliver site. It’s to die for!

This one is quite easy and I've used it before

https://www.dailystar.co.uk/real-life/youve-been-cooking-carbonara-wrong-21989296]

I definitely wouldn't use fresh egg pasta. Fresh pasta with no egg at a push, but we tend to have it with penne. I'd prefer spaghetti but dh likes short pasta best.

I think I was thinking of tagliatelle for bolognese.

@ApolloandDaphne

I made it and it was lovely. I possibly could have put a little more pasta liquid in but on the whole it was delicious.

I’m jealous of your unctuous pasta @ApolloandDaphne 🤤

I used dry spaghetti.