Italy’s cuisine has been shaped by many different groups until its unification in 1861, which made it easy for the ingredients to flow and combine with one another. Tracing the history of Spaghetti Carbonara is hard as most of its history appears to be anecdotal. The dish is traced back to Roman origin and is thought to be an evolution of the roman dish cacio e ova, simply meaning cheese and egg. The name “Carbonara” can be traced back to Alla Carbonara, which means coal workers style, implying that the dish was primarily eaten by coal workers or that the excessive use of black pepper in the dish is an ode to coal flakes. The term Carbonara was popularized after World War II, after the dish’s excessive use by soldiers. Today Spaghetti Carbonara is said to be one of the most popular Italian dishes. Since 2017, Milan has celebrated “Carbonara Day”, a festival held in appreciation of the carbonara dish, a holiday in which every person eats and prepares carbonara to their liking. People try to experiment with the carbonara recipe to come up with their own unique variations. Carbonara is rich in carbohydrates and fats and typically a serving contains anywhere between 400-600 calories. Carbonara has many variations and can be made with or without meat, which can contribute to a high carbohydrate or high protein diet.

Carbonara is one of my favorite dishes to eat. Cooking it was a challenge, as even though it is not a difficult dish to make I am someone who isn't fond of cooking. The only things I have ever cooked or prepared for myself are eggs and porridge. However, having watched my mother cook food for me for years, I have learned a few things, for example, the cooking process of making Carbonara. I chose this dish for my midterm project because it is a dish that everyone in my family enjoys eating at least four to five times a month. I also wanted to cook food for my parents to help ease their mind during the COVID19 pandemic. The cooking process was easy and did not take more than 45 minutes. While I prefer Spaghetti Carbonara with Meatballs, everyone in my family other than me is vegetarian, so it simplified my cooking process. The only ingredient I had a problem finding was milk, since deliveries to my area have been heavily monitored because of the imposed lockdown. I quite enjoyed the cooking process and preparing it for my family, especially after watching my parents cook for me for years. Watching them eat it and like it was quite fruitful to me. I also realized the amount of effort that goes into washing the dishes after cooking and eating. Learning to make this dish will be quite useful to me in my college life as well since I can try and limit my food deliveries and maybe make this once or twice a week.