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More Pasta Recipes
Fettuccine Carbonara with Pancetta
Fettuccine carbonara with pancetta is one of those timeless recipes I always come back to. I make it the traditional way – eggs, cheese, and starchy pasta water – with crisp pancetta adding that perfect salty bite. The sauce is glossy, rich, and clings beautifully to ribbons of fettuccine without ever feeling too heavy. It’s quick enough for a weeknight but special enough for guests. When I want simple comfort done right, this is the dish I turn to.
Ingredients
- 400g fettuccine pasta
- 150g pancetta, diced
- 3 large eggs, yolks only
- 100g freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
- 100g freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- Salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the fettuccine pasta according to the package instructions until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta is cooking, in a separate pan, cook the diced pancetta over medium heat until it becomes crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
- In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, Pecorino Romano cheese, Parmesan cheese, minced garlic, and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
- Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and immediately add it to a large mixing bowl.
- While the pasta is still hot, pour the egg and cheese mixture over it, tossing quickly to coat the pasta evenly. The heat from the pasta will help create a creamy sauce.
- Add the crispy pancetta to the pasta and continue tossing until well combined. If the sauce is too thick, add some of the reserved pasta water a little at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
- Season with salt and additional pepper if needed and garnish with chopped fresh parsley before serving.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 667Total Fat: 39gSaturated Fat: 17gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 19gCholesterol: 260mgSodium: 956mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 2gSugar: 2gProtein: 31g
Please note, this nutrition information is to be used as a guide only. Nutrition information isn’t always accurate.
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Fettuccine Carbonara with Pancetta
Stormy Nights and Comfort Food
There is nothing quite like a bowl of fettuccine carbonara with pancetta when the weather turns stormy and cold. Last night in Adelaide, we had the most dramatic storm I can remember in years. The kind that rolls in wave after wave, with thunder that rattles the windows and lightning that feels like it’s right above your roof. And despite the calendar claiming summer is just days away, the rain kept pouring and the wind howled through every gap it could find. In that moment, nothing sounded better than a plate of creamy, cheesy, eggy pasta. And this is my go-to. My fettuccine carbonara with pancetta is warm, familiar, and deeply comforting in every bite.
I’ve always cooked this dish in a way that honours the tradition while making a few practical changes. It doesn’t include cream, as true carbonara never should. Instead, it leans into egg yolks, finely grated parmesan, a little reserved pasta water, and plenty of cracked black pepper to build that luscious, velvety sauce. I use pancetta because I haven’t found a reliable local supplier for guanciale in Adelaide yet, and pancetta still brings that beautiful salt and richness. The fettuccine is always gluten free, of course, because being coeliac means I have to be selective with pasta. Cooked to a perfect al dente, tossed with the rendered pancetta, and brought together with the yolks and cheese – it’s a bowl of stormy weather magic.
Over the years, this recipe has evolved from my signature date-night dish to something I make just for myself on nights when I need warmth and comfort. It used to be the kind of thing I served to impress, with candles and red wine and a fancy starter. These days, it’s usually made in silence, in comfy clothes, with rain on the windows and my cat curled up nearby. There’s a deep kind of contentment that comes from knowing exactly what you need to eat and giving it to yourself. No fuss, no audience, just food that soothes and satisfies.
Weather and Cravings
Last night’s storm wasn’t just loud – it was visceral. The kind that shakes you up, resets you a little. It made me reach for something familiar and warming, something that didn’t require a trip to the shops or too much effort. Pasta does that. It has always been the food I turn to when I’m craving connection, even if the only person I’m connecting with is myself. There’s something about the ritual of boiling water, grating cheese, and stirring a sauce that brings me back to myself.
When you live alone, weather can sometimes feel louder. The thunder hits different when there’s no one else to laugh at it with you. And yet, there’s a strange joy in embracing that solitude. Curling up with your favourite film, a big bowl of pasta, and a storm swirling outside… it’s a kind of healing. Even Rose, my highly opinionated and occasionally vindictive cat, was curled up by my feet while I ate. She didn’t even flinch at the thunder. Maybe she’s adjusting to Adelaide faster than I am.
Of course, not every stormy night feels so serene. There are nights when everything feels a little too much. But knowing I can always retreat into the comfort of this dish, with its creamy texture and salty pancetta crunch, is a small but important comfort. It’s a reminder that even when life is stormy, there are rituals that ground us.
Living and Cooking in Adelaide
Adjusting to life in Adelaide has taken longer than I expected. It’s not just the weather or the streets or the slightly different way people interact. It’s the rhythm of the city. Adelaide is charming in a way that feels quieter than other capitals. The arcades, the independent retailers, the blend of heritage buildings with modern touches – it’s a city with layers. And while it took me time to appreciate them, I do now. Especially when wandering the laneways, matcha late in hand, after the storm has passed.
I think what I love most is that Adelaide feels European without being pretentious. There’s a softness to it. A kindness. It’s not as fast-paced as Melbourne, not as sprawling as Sydney, and nothing like Brisbane’s humidity and drama. But it grows on you. And in moments like last night, curled up with my fettuccine carbonara, I was glad to be here. It felt like the right city to ride out a storm.
And while I’m still finding my groove, especially with food shopping and sourcing ingredients like guanciale, I’m getting there. Adelaide might not have the same bustling Italian delis I grew up with, but it has a local charm and plenty of surprises if you look hard enough. I’m even starting to find my favourite produce vendors and coffee spots. It’s slow, it’s unfolding… but it’s happening.
Pasta and Peace
I know it sounds silly, but cooking pasta reminds me of who I used to be. There was a time in my life where I cooked all the time. For friends, for dates, for my blog, for the joy of it. And somewhere along the way, that joy got buried under grief, life admin, and burnout. But every time I cook this carbonara, I remember that version of myself. The one who danced around the kitchen and licked the spoon. The one who fed people because it made her feel full too.
Now, it’s more subtle. There’s no playlist, no clinking wine glasses, just the steady rhythm of cooking. And honestly, I’m okay with that. The quiet is where I’ve found myself again. Slowly. Gently. With bowls of pasta that remind me that comfort can be as simple as egg, cheese, pancetta and pepper.
So even as the storms keep coming, and the seasons continue to confuse, I’ll keep making this fettuccine carbonara with pancetta. For me. For my sense of home, and the small pleasure of knowing that, at least in this moment, I am warm, full, and exactly where I need to be.
Ingredients Breakdown
Every time I make this fettuccine carbonara with pancetta, I’m reminded how simple ingredients, treated with care, create the most satisfying meals. The pasta is naturally the base – gluten free fettuccine, made from a blend of rice and corn flour, which holds up surprisingly well if cooked carefully. It needs to be salted like the sea and stirred gently, otherwise it tends to clump or break. Once drained, a splash of reserved cooking water helps emulsify the sauce and loosen things up, especially with gluten free varieties which can be starchier.
Next comes the pancetta. I prefer it diced thick, fried slowly over a medium heat until it releases its fat and turns crispy at the edges. Pancetta has a slightly more refined flavour than bacon, with less smoke and more depth. It seasons the dish beautifully, so I rarely need to add extra salt. The rendered fat also helps coat the pasta and acts as a carrier for the rest of the ingredients. I always scoop it out onto a paper towel to drain slightly, but the flavour it leaves behind in the pan is essential.
For the sauce, I use egg yolks, usually three if I’m making a single large serve for myself. The yolks are whisked with finely grated parmesan, and occasionally a little pecorino if I have it on hand. Lots of cracked pepper goes in at this stage too. Once the pasta is cooked and drained, it’s quickly returned to the pan with the heat off, and the yolk and cheese mixture is stirred through, letting the residual heat create that glossy, rich coating. It’s fast, it’s delicate, and it’s incredibly rewarding.
