carbonara

[ kahr-buh-nahr-uh; Italian kahr-baw-nah-rah ]

noun

, Italian Cooking.

1. a sauce or dressing for spaghetti, usually containing minced prosciutto or pancetta, egg yolks, and grated cheese.

Word History and Origins

Origin of carbonara¹

1960–65; < dialectal Italian ( alla ) carbonara literally, in the manner of the charcoal pit (compare Late Latin carbonaria brazier; Carbonari ); perhaps in reference to the use of leftover grilled meat in the sauce

Example Sentences

“I have made smoked clam carbonara, with the waves of the Salish Sea lapping at my fire, and spiced buttery biscuits cooked until golden on top of rosy-hued apricots in the Cascade Mountains,” says the chef, who is based in Seattle.

From Outside Online

Part of what makes the carbonara stand out from the crowd is its rich yellow confit egg yolk.

From Washington Post

Years ago, a friend and I got into a months-long back-and-forth about carbonara.

From Washington Post

One weekend afternoon, after I’d slept in and forgot to have anything meaningful to eat all day, I was craving something like carbonara, but wanted to go heavier on the protein.

From Washington Post

I obsess about the bountiful, authentic carbonara, and well dressed people, and the gardens...and I could go on....

From The Daily Beast

I myself, ignorant of these customs was once carried to the Carbonara, the destined place of butchery.

From Project Gutenberg

We shall steer for Cape Carbonara, which is some hundred and thirty miles distant.

From Project Gutenberg