How To Properly Add Eggs To A Carbonara Sauce

Carbonara, which conjures the word carbonaro — coal burner — maybe arose from the soot and ashes of Italian charcoal workers from the rugged Central Apennines. Perhaps an embellished myth, these stories speak of hardworking me who stuffed bowls of spaghetti with eggs, pecorino, and guanciale — air-cured pork jowls or cheek. But others believe the creamy pasta dish originally filled bellies in Rome or evolved from the first time chefs tossed maccheroni with cheese and eggs in late-19th century Neapolitan kitchens (via Gambero Rosso). In other legends, during, and in the crumbling aftermath of World War II, carbonara was born from American soldiers stationed in Italy who brought their daily rations of eggs and bacon to local restaurants in Rome (per La Cucina Italiana). Over time, throughout the regions, and all the way across the Atlantic in the new Italian havens of the eastern United States, bacon morphed into salt-cured pancetta, and pancetta into chunks of guanciale (via Taste).

A bowl of pasta alla carbonara seems like a simple, filling dish where not much could go wrong. It takes only 30 minutes or less to whip up this satisfying, and versatile meal, but the necessary addition of eggs might throw you off track. To achieve this pasta dish's creamy texture, eggs, unsalted butter, and shredded Parmesan cheese are crucial. However, one wrong move, and you might accidentally end up with grainy, scrambled eggs instead of a smooth, silken sauce to coat the long noodles, whether fettuccine, linguine, or bucatini.