Plate of spaghetti carbonara on solid black background
Food - Drink
The Best Cheese To Use For Authentic Carbonara
By ERICA MARTINEZ
Carbonara paste on a beige background
Carbonara is one of the signature pasta dishes that Rome is famous for, and if you want to recreate it properly, there’s one cheese you can’t forget to include: Pecorino Romano.
Pieces of matured pecorino romano italian cheese made from sheep milk in Lazio, Sardinia or Tuscany close up
Pecorino Romano is a Roman cheese that makes sense for use in a Roman dish. It’s saltier than Parmigiano Reggiano and seasons the dish better, so the two are not the same.
Spaghetti alla carbonara with bacon, chorizo sausage, parmesan and oregano on ceramic plate with fork over brown wooden background. Top view, flat lay. Classic Italian dish
Spaghetti is traditional for carbonara, but tonnarelli, bucatini, and rigatoni can also be used. You can sub in Parmigiano Reggiano for Pecorino, but it won’t be truly authentic.
Ingredients for pasta spaghetti alla carbonara on dark background. See series
Other essential ingredients include guanciale (pancetta or bacon are good substitutes), egg yolk, and black pepper, which all come together with the cheese to make a creamy sauce.