Pasta Carbonara Is Delicious, But Is It Safe?

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Published March 7th, 2025, 9:23 AM EST

Dim Nikov is a culinary editor at Tastyble. He is a trained cook with food safety certification and the author of the 2022 cookbook Cooking Methods & Techniques.

When I hear people fretting over carbonara, I’m tempted to say, “It’s just pasta.” The concern, however, is well founded: traditional carbonara involves raw eggs that get warmed—not fully cooked—by hot pasta. So let’s cut through the noise and talk straight about the safety of this beloved Italian classic.

Before Ordering Carbonara at a Restaurant

If you’re pregnant, elderly, immunocompromised, or ordering for young children, carbonara deserves a second thought. Don’t be shy—ask your server: “Does your carbonara use raw eggs?” and “How do you prepare the egg mixture for safety?”

Many high-end restaurants use precise temperature control techniques that make their carbonara both authentic and safe. Others adapt with cream or partial cooking methods. Some use pasteurized eggs. The point is: ask.

Making Carbonara at Home

Traditional carbonara is made by tossing hot pasta with raw eggs, cheese, pepper, and pork away from direct heat. The pasta’s residual heat warms the egg mixture but doesn’t cook it to the USDA’s recommended 160°F. That’s the reality.

Your safest bet at home is to use commercially pasteurized eggs. They deliver the silky texture carbonara demands without the safety concerns.

Some food writers will tell you that you can pasteurize eggs at home. That’s technically true, but I won’t recommend it unless you have professional equipment. Proper pasteurization requires holding eggs at exactly 135°F for at least 75 seconds. At 134°F, you’re not killing pathogens. At 136°F, you’re cooking the egg. That’s a margin of error most home kitchens can’t properly handle.

If you’re determined to try home pasteurization, you need specialized gear: an immersion circulator accurate to ±0.5°F and a lab-grade digital thermometer at minimum. No, your candy thermometer won’t cut it. (And forget about stovetop or microwave methods—they’re unreliable and downright dangerous.)

The Practical Approach to Carbonara

Here’s what I actually do: I use pasteurized eggs when I can get them. When I can’t, I make sure my pasta is piping hot, work quickly, and serve immediately. I accept the minimal risk for myself, but I inform dinner guests and offer alternatives to those in high-risk groups.

The proper technique, regardless of egg type: Toss the hot pasta with your egg mixture off the heat, stirring vigorously to create that signature creamy sauce without scrambling the eggs. Add some reserved pasta water if needed to keep everything silky.

Carbonara has survived centuries because it’s simple and magnificent. With a clear understanding of the risks and proper precautions, you can enjoy this classic with both pleasure and peace of mind.

Dim Nikov — this story’s author — left his old managerial career at the turn of the decade to write about food. He is a husband, father, and trained cook certified in food safety. In 2022, he published his first cookbook, Cooking Methods & Techniques, which teaches readers how to cook instead of how to just follow recipes. More about Dim Nikov

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