The origins of this dish are various, some realistic, some fairly apocryphal! The use of the word carbonara suggests, however, that it is something to do with charcoal burners or coal porters – the black pepper representing flecks of coal. It could also have a hint of early 19th century politics, if associated with an undercover political movement called Carbonari, so called because they used to meet in cellars where the coal was kept. Either way, the recipe is definitely related to Rome and as such guanciale, preserved pork cheek, is used for the bacon. If you follow this recipe precisely, you might not end up with scrambled egg, which is usually the result! And you definitely don’t use cream!