Posted 04.04.18 / Local Produce, People, Places,Kitchen secrets - things your Nonna never told you

International Carbonara Day is April 6

Carbonara is perhaps the most replicated pasta dish made in kitchens throughout the world.

However, there is debate among pasta enthusiasts as to the true specific ingredients for this simple recipe.

Traditionalists say that only pork tongue and not bacon or even pancetta should be used. They are also adamant that pecorino cheese, not parmigiano, is a main ingredient.

And just as you will find different variations of the dish served in restaurants, so are there many theories of how Carbonara came to be.

Some say it originated from charcoal makers, other refer to the underground Italian insurgent fighting for independence as the creators of carbonara. And yet, others turn to American soldiers serving in Rome during the Second World War who mixed their scrambled eggs with pasta. Recently the feat was claimed by Renato Gualandi, a chef from Bologna who said he created the dish in 1944 to celebrate Riccione being freed by enemy forces. He used bacon, cream, processed cheese and dried egg yolk. Being wartime fresh produce was limited and food was rationed.

Whatever version you prefer, we are sure you will agree nothing beats a plate of Carbonara on a snowy April day!

It’s a pasta dish that has appeared on and off our menu since we opened in 1994.