The very first time I made carbonara was back in middle school. I cooked it for my family using plenty of cream and garlic. They loved it and told me it was delicious—so for years, I believed that was the “real” carbonara.
Later, when I was living in a share house abroad, an Italian roommate looked at me in shock and said:
“Carbonara with cream? Garlic…? Noooo!”
That was a turning point for me.
So today, I’m sharing my go-to simple Italian-style carbonara, made with ingredients you can easily find in Japan.
Ingredients
| Spaghetti (I personally recommend fettuccine!) | 200g |
| Pancetta (guanciale or thick-cut bacon also works) | 100-200g |
| Egg yolks | 5 |
| Parmesan cheese (or Pecorino Romano) | 60g |
| Freshly ground black pepper | to taste |
| Salt | (for pasta water) |
Ingredient shopping tips are listed below!
How to Make
1⃣ Prep
Cut the pancetta into about 1cm cubes.
Grate the cheese.
2⃣ Cook the pancetta
Fry the pancetta over low heat for around 5 minutes. Adjust the heat as needed and cook until crispy and golden.
3⃣ Mix yolks & cheese
In a large bowl, combine 5 egg yolks with the grated cheese. Add the cheese gradually and taste as you go, since flavor strength can vary by type.
4⃣ Boil pasta
Cook pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente.
5⃣ Combine pasta and sauce
Add the cooked pancetta and pasta to the egg-cheese mixture and quickly toss together. Add a tiny splash of pasta water if needed to loosen the sauce.
6⃣ Finish and serve
Plate the pasta and top with freshly ground black pepper and extra cheese to taste.
If you can’t find pancetta or guanciale, use block-style bacon instead of thin strips.
Cut into 1cm cubes and fry until crispy.
Since Japanese bacon tends to be less salty than Italian pancetta, try sprinkling a bit of salt while frying to bring it closer in flavor.
Many supermarkets in Japan now sell fresh pasta in the refrigerated section.
It’s chewy and rich in texture—totally different from the usual dried kind.
If you haven’t tried it yet, I highly recommend giving it a go!
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If you try it and post a photo, tag me—I’d love to see your creations!
