Polydish city guide
Best Carbonara in Toronto
“Just cured pork, hard cheese, eggs, salt, and black pepper—carbonara's modern form emerged only in the mid-20th century.”
What the real thing tastes like
Carbonara (Italian: [karboˈnaːra]) is a pasta dish made with cured pork, hard cheese, eggs, salt, and black pepper. It is typical of the Lazio region of Italy. The dish took its modern form and name in the middle of the 20th century. The cheese used is usually pecorino romano. Some variations use Parmesan, Grana Padano, or a combination of cheeses. Spaghetti is the most common pasta, but bucatini or rigatoni are also used. While guanciale, a cured pork jowl, is traditional, some variations use pancetta, and lardons of smoked bacon are a common substitute outside Italy.
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Carbonara is a deceptively simple Roman pasta—just cured pork, hard cheese, eggs, salt, and black pepper—that came together in its modern form only in the mid-20th century. The dish traditionally uses guanciale, the rich cured jowl of the pig, paired with pecorino romano's sharp bite, though variations swap in pancetta or even bacon. Spaghetti carries the silky sauce best, though bucatini and rigatoni work too. It's a study in restraint: a handful of ingredients that transform into something profound.
Order it here when it has
- traditional guanciale
- regional authenticity to Lazio
- adaptable across pasta shapes
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