Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Who Actually Invented Carbonara? It's complicated, and the answer might genuinely surprise you.
Carbonara is one of the most argued-about dishes on the internet, the kind of pasta that gets people genuinely heated in the comments. But here's the thing nobody talks about: the first written recipe for carbonara only shows up around 1950, and there are three competing theories about where it actually came from. One involves medieval charcoal workers hauling cheese up a mountain. One involves American GIs handing out bacon and powdered eggs after liberating Rome in World War II. And one is just a restaurant in Rome that got famous after the war. Nobody fully agrees.
Before we even get to carbonara though, we have to talk about pasta itself, because pasta didn't fall from the sky into a Roman piazza either. It came from Arab traders who rolled into Sicily in the 9th century with dried durum wheat noodles, and the rest is a thousand years of history, class warfare, regional beef, and one very important Neapolitan invention that made pasta cheap enough for everyone.
We make a proper carbonara along the way using the technique from Steven Carasado of Not Another Cooking Show. Guanciale, pecorino romano, egg yolks, black pepper, no cream, no garlic, no peas.
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📝MORE RECIPES: adamwitt.co/allrecipes
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RECIPE: adamwitt.co/allrecipes/originalcarbonara
________________________________________________________
STUFF I USE…
My Cookware Set: amzn.to/3vaWhbG
My Dutch Oven: amzn.to/48MKuhq
Portable Single-burner Stove: amzn.to/3IytyjV
Butane Torch: amzn.to/48TkQra
Deli Containers: amzn.to/49QO635
Large Mason Jars (32oz, wide mouth): amzn.to/49QO635
Rust-proof Mason Jar Lids: amzn.to/49QWlfy
Butane Canisters: amzn.to/3wLUtpM
Coarse Reinforced Strainer: amzn.to/3PePLHK
Fine Mesh Reinforced Strainer: amzn.to/3TxvkYP
Sheet Trays: amzn.to/3IG3zXL
The BEST Smash Burger Spatula: amzn.to/3UdSHab
Cutting Board Scraper: amzn.to/3Jy64fx
Ice Cream Maker: amzn.to/3wd2vIu
My Induction Burner: amzn.to/4dfhJNE
________________________________________________________
TIMESTAMPS…
00:00 Carbonara's Complicated Origin
00:46 How Pasta Actually Got to Italy
02:28 The Ingredients of a True Carbonara
04:53 How Pasta Conquered Italy
07:07 When and Where Carbonara Was Actually Born
08:49 Making Carbonara the Right Way
13:19 Taste Test and Final Thoughts
________________________________________________________
#carbonara #foodhistory #pasta
Disclaimer: I earn commission income with qualifying purchases made through Amazon’s Affiliate program and other affiliate links in this description.
Who Actually Invented Carbonara? It's complicated, and the answer might genuinely surprise you.
Carbonara is one of the most argued-about dishes on the internet, the kind of pasta that gets people genuinely heated in the comments. But here's the thing nobody talks about: the first written recipe for carbonara only shows up around 1950, and there are three competing theories about where it actually came from. One involves medieval charcoal workers hauling cheese up a mountain. One involves American GIs handing out bacon and powdered eggs after liberating Rome in World War II. And one is just a restaurant in Rome that got famous after the war. Nobody fully agrees.
Before we even get to carbonara though, we have to talk about pasta itself, because pasta didn't fall from the sky into a Roman piazza either. It came from Arab traders who rolled into Sicily in the 9th century with dried durum wheat noodles, and the rest is a thousand years of history, class warfare, regional beef, and one very important Neapolitan invention that made pasta cheap enough for everyone.
We make a proper carbonara along the way using the technique from Steven Carasado of Not Another Cooking Show. Guanciale, pecorino romano, egg yolks, black pepper, no cream, no garlic, no peas.
👕SUPPORT THE CHAN, COP SOME MERCH!: https://adamwitt.store/
🫶CONTRIBUTE TO THE GROCERY FUND! (Patreon): patreon.com/adamwitt
👾DISCORD: discord.com/invite/aFQ4h4BXg4
📝MORE RECIPES: adamwitt.co/allrecipes
🔗FOLLOW ALONG ON SOCIAL: adamwitt.co/social-links
RECIPE: adamwitt.co/allrecipes/originalcarbonara
________________________________________________________
STUFF I USE…
My Cookware Set: amzn.to/3vaWhbG
My Dutch Oven: amzn.to/48MKuhq
Portable Single-burner Stove: amzn.to/3IytyjV
Butane Torch: amzn.to/48TkQra
Deli Containers: amzn.to/49QO635
Large Mason Jars (32oz, wide mouth): amzn.to/49QO635
Rust-proof Mason Jar Lids: amzn.to/49QWlfy
Butane Canisters: amzn.to/3wLUtpM
Coarse Reinforced Strainer: amzn.to/3PePLHK
Fine Mesh Reinforced Strainer: amzn.to/3TxvkYP
Sheet Trays: amzn.to/3IG3zXL
The BEST Smash Burger Spatula: amzn.to/3UdSHab
Cutting Board Scraper: amzn.to/3Jy64fx
Ice Cream Maker: amzn.to/3wd2vIu
My Induction Burner: amzn.to/4dfhJNE
________________________________________________________
TIMESTAMPS…
00:00 Carbonara's Complicated Origin
00:46 How Pasta Actually Got to Italy
02:28 The Ingredients of a True Carbonara
04:53 How Pasta Conquered Italy
07:07 When and Where Carbonara Was Actually Born
08:49 Making Carbonara the Right Way
13:19 Taste Test and Final Thoughts
________________________________________________________
#carbonara #foodhistory #pasta
Disclaimer: I earn commission income with qualifying purchases made through Amazon’s Affiliate program and other affiliate links in this description.
