carbonara
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of carbonara
1960–65; < dialectal Italian ( alla ) carbonara literally, in the manner of the charcoal pit (compare Late Latin carbonaria brazier; see Carbonari); perhaps in reference to the use of leftover grilled meat in the sauce
Vocabulary lists containing carbonara
World Cuisine - Introductory
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World Cuisine - Middle School and High School
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s a vegan restaurant and I’ve had meat-eating friends say that their carbonara is their favorite.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 2, 2026
Italians often get angry when foreigners tinker with their food recipes - pizza with pineapple, cappuccino after midday or carbonara with cream, for example.
From BBC • Aug. 7, 2025
The foreboding carbonara was brewing in my mind — enticed by ingredients of splendid quality; guanciale, pecorino and fresh eggs.
From Salon • Mar. 6, 2025
Typical dishes include tortellini in broth from the northern Emilia region, spaghetti alla carbonara from central regions around Rome, and pasta alla Norma in Sicily.
From Reuters • Nov. 25, 2023
“Zooey’s making pasta carbonara, and I thought Nana could bake an apple pie.”
From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
