A Roman pasta dish made with eggs, cheese (Pecorino Romano), pancetta or guanciale, and black pepper. The eggs create a creamy sauce when mixed with hot pasta, without using cream.
From Italian 'carbonaro' (charcoal burner), though the exact origin is debated. Some say it was created by charcoal workers, others by the Italian resistance (nicknamed carbonari), or that it refers to the black pepper that resembles coal dust. The dish gained popularity after World War II.
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