Pasta alla carbonara in Naples

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If you think of one of the most famous dishes of Italian cuisine, pasta alla carbonara, everyone (or almost) would say that the Romans should be thanked for this invention, but everyone (or almost) would be wrong. Some historical documents trace the origin of the famous pasta alla carbonara, none other than, to the city of Naples.

But let's find out why carbonara pasta was born in Naples.

The historical motivations of Neapolitan cuisine

The theory that pasta alla carbonara was born in Naples was supported by some reasons like some historical treatises on Neapolitan and Roman cuisine. In 1837 Ippolito Cavalcanti, Duke of Buonvicino, published in Naples his treatise "The theoretical-practical kitchen", in which all the recipes that were consumed in Naples at the time were present and among which there was already a rudimentary experiment of pasta alla carbonara, which, net of the bacon, had the same preparation process. Furthermore, in 1929 "La Cucina Romana" by Ada Boni was published in Rome, in which, however, no mention is made of any recipe similar to pasta alla carbonara.

These two reasons seem to be irrefutable proof of the Neapolitan origin of pasta alla carbonara.

The story of the birth of carbonara in Naples

Another proof seems to date back to the period of the Second World War when some taverns in the port of Naples presented a recipe similar to carbonara among their menus. The motivation is very simple and refers to the famous "K ration" that American soldiers carried with them, which consisted of freeze-dried eggs and bacon, probably some soldiers, fed up with eating the plain pasta that the spaghetti served, tried to make it tastier by adding the only ingredients that they had with them and then the hosts of the port have made just to satisfy their customers.

These reasons seem to be the definitive proof that pasta alla carbonara was born here in Naples, our Roman friends do not hate us, who have been able to enhance, make their own and make known in the world one of the symbolic dishes of Italian cuisine, but this proves once again the centrality of Naples in the history of Italy.