Celebrate International Carbonara Day with this classic pasta dish

International Carbonara Day is all about celebrating the classic Roman pasta dish in its simplest form. This version sticks to the essentials: spaghetti, eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and plenty of black pepper. There’s no cream and no heavy sauce.

The richness comes from the eggs and cheese alone, which melt together to coat the pasta in a smooth, glossy layer. Getting carbonara just right can take some practice, but this recipe is a breeze to make. The key is to stir the egg mixture quickly into the pasta, which should be hot enough to “cook” the egg but not so hot as to make it curdle.