Reader Comments for The New York Times’ “Homestyle Spaghetti Carbonara” Recipe
Angela
This recipe was incredibly easy to follow, and a hands-down winner with my family. I followed the directions exactly, except for cutting the parmesan cheese in half because the amount called for in the recipe is insane and repulsive.
kareem
Simple, and delicious as written. Tripled the cheese.
chef dorothy
Thanks for the recipe. FYI, works just as well with Prego brand carbonara sauce, Del Monte canned spaghetti, and ham leather.
Ericke
Is it OK to use Romano cheese instead of Parmesan? And if I don’t have spaghetti on hand, can I just use fish?
Annie Oatly
Is there a vegan option? As a vegan (I’m vegan), I consider it my personal responsibility to search for recipes that are clearly dependent on meat and dairy, then ask if there’s a vegan option.
Frankie V
I added pressed garlic into the egg mixture, because I grew up in an Italian home and IMHO it’s not autentica carbonara without garlic. Also, in my Italian home there was a great deal of screaming, and none of the men lived past 43. Adjust your recipe accordingly, per favore.
Brianna BB
Thanks for posting this recipe but where’s the garlic, you fucking coward?
cricket MD
My Nonna grew up in Italy, and loved to take us to a local restaurant that she claimed served the BEST spaghetti carbonara outside of Rome. Their recipe was almost identical to this one, with one big exception: garlic, and lots of it. They also served incredible garlic steamed clams, garlic-rubbed chicken, garlic pudding, and a dish called “20-Clove Chowder” that promised an entire bulb of garlic in every bowl or your next meal was free at “Count Stinkula’s Garlic Castle.” Gosh I miss my Nonna, that crazy bitch.
Silvio Parmesan molto bene regional Top Chef finalist 2016
I noticed this recipe calls for cooking the pasta al dente in boiling water. That’s “good enough” for today’s generation, but in the old country (French Quebec) we would soak the noodles in lukewarm water, left outside in direct sunlight. It adds several hours to the preparation time, but is well worth the wait as long as a fox or bird does not steal your noodles.
Alan
A “fine” recipe that could be vastly improved with a few simple adjustments:
- Instead of guanciale, use pancetta, which is naturally more salty.
- For creamier eggs, beat them with a metal fork instead of a whisk.
- Don’t bother with the extra step of warming the pasta bowl, if the person you’re making this dish for is just going to divorce you in three months anyway.
Devin
Do you got a recipe for gum?
Trish L
Made this for dinner last night and the hubby loved it!!!
Trish L
It’s me again — Trish. I have to confess I did not make this recipe — SORRY! But if I don’t jump into the comments section of a recipe website and mention my “hubby” at least once a day I fear something horrible might happen to all of us.
Trish L
One more confession: I do not have a hubby. However, I would very much like one and if I had one I’m positive he’d love this recipe, with the addition of garlic.
gilberto
10/10!! — I used literally zero of the ingredients and cooked the whole thing on my radiator.
Levi
Have you considered that, instead of spaghetti carbonara people might prefer a refreshing pressed juice? But you do you I guess. Goodbye, Felicia! #yoga
Mookie T
The food smells from this recipe was making me hungry so I drank all the egg whites and got sick. I HOPE YOU GO TO JAIL!!!
Crypt0Ape_420
Would you consider selling this recipe as an NFT, granting its owner exclusive worldwide rights to digital carbonara?
Jeredith (she/us)
I take issue with the author’s extremely privileged use of “home-style.” It’s insensitive to assume everyone wishing to make spaghetti carbonara has a home, or a kitchen, or access to running water. Therefore, I did not find this recipe very inclusive and cannot in good conscience recommend it. Plus, cheese gives me the toots.
BERNARD
Not to pile on to Jeredith’s comments, but I would like to add that cheese also gives me the toots.
DEktorb7$
hello to the internet help me please i type ‘carbonara effect’ into my Bings and it send me here now i covered in eggs where is magic tricks?
Barbara in Decatur
My name’s Barbara, and I live in Decatur, where it’s nearly impossible to find guanciale at the Food Lion. I was going to use bacon instead, but then I saw I didn’t have any eggs or spaghetti either so I just made a grilled cheese sandwich. Two slices of American cheese, some bread (wheat, I think?), and butter. Delicious. THANK YOU!
lionel cooks
Love the recipe but I substituted smoked cheddar for the American cheese, and added a few thin slices of Granny Smith apple for extra tang. Otherwise, did exactly as Barbara instructed. 10/10
bree
I am usually extremely orthodox about following recipe directions, and one of my great loves is scolding online commenters, but as I read the ingredients for this recipe my jaw dropped to the floor. Eggs? Spaghetti? Italian bacon? Exactly what kind of grilled cheese sandwich is this??? I’ll stick with the basics. Team Barbara all the way!
Barbara in Decatur
Thanks!
bree
My pleasure!!
Trish L
My hubby loves grilled cheese!!
Paul Dubell
Strongly agree with the commenters here. Why mess with a classic? Cheese, bread, butter, heat — that’s all you need for a tasty grilled cheese sandwich. And I’m no chef — I’ve found my calling expressing the anal glands of dogs — but with all these ingredients you’ve listed I’d say ditch the grilled cheese entirely. You’re better off whipping up a classic spaghetti carbonara instead. Would add garlic, though.
