Spaghetti Carbonara – The American Connection – American Soldiers in Rome during WW II – Original Recipe

On January 22, 2026January 22, 2026 By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

“WHAT DID GI’s HAVE to DO with IT” ???

FAVORITE ITALIAN COOKBOOKS

PASTA CARBONARA & AMERICAN “GI’s” ???

Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta dish from Rome, Italy. It is known for its creamy sauce made from eggs, Pecorino Romano Cheese, cured pork (Guanciale or Pancetta) Black Pepper. “No Cream” !!! The sauce’s silky texture is achieved by tossing hot pasta with the egg mixture and starchy pasta water off the heat, which gently cooks the eggs without scrambling them.

Pasta Carbonara’s origins are strongly linked to American soldiers in Rome during World War II, who introduced bacon and powdered eggs, prompting Italian cooks to create a pasta dish with these ingredients and local cheese and black pepper for a hearty meal, evolving from a “breakfast spaghetti” request into the iconic dish known today. Italian cook Renato Gualandi is sometimes credited with creating an early version using these rationed items for U.S. officers in 1944, although the dish’s exact inventor remains debated.

The WWII Connection

American Rations: U.S. troops brought bacon, cheese, and powdered eggs, which were a novelty and comfort to them.

Italian Adaptation: Local Italian cooks combined these ingredients with pasta, creating a version of bacon and eggs on spaghetti, sometimes called “spaghetti breakfast”.
Key Ingredients: This fusion led to the creamy sauce of eggs, cheese (like Pecorino Romano), cured pork (substituted for bacon), and black pepper (resembling charcoal dust).
Evolution to Modern Carbonara
After the war, as local ingredients became more available, the recipe was refined using fresh eggs and guanciale (cured pork jowl), becoming the beloved Roman dish we know today.

While some debate its American influence, most food historians agree the dish emerged in post-WWII Rome, a testament to an Italian-American culinary exchange

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

EGGS, GUANCIAL, PECORINO, SPAGHETTI

RECIPES

CARBONARA & ROMAN PASTA

RECIPES

In “ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL”

TRAVEL GUIDE – COOKBOOK

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

AMAZON.com

PASTA CARBONARA – RECIPE

How to Make Authentic Carbonara

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces imported Italian Spaghetti, 4 Egg Yolks, 1 cup grated Pecorino Cheese, Black Pepper

The key to Carbonara is the emulsion—creating a creamy sauce using the heat of the pasta rather than direct stovetop heat, which would scramble the eggs.

Prep the Meat: Sauté cubed guanciale or pancetta in a skillet until the fat renders and the meat is crispy.

Whisk the Sauce: In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, grated cheese, and plenty of black pepper.

Cook Pasta: Boil spaghetti in salted water until just al dente. Reserve a cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.

Combine: Toss the hot pasta into the skillet with the pork and rendered fat.

Emulsify: Remove the pan from the heat. Quickly stir in the egg and cheese mixture, adding small splashes of reserved pasta water as needed. The residual heat will cook the eggs into a smooth, glossy sauce.

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

Video Recipe

In ITALIAN

SPAGHETTI CARBONARA

VIDEO RECIPE

by VINCENZO “In ENGLISH”

The Feast of The Seven Fish Italian Christmas Cookbook – Daniel Bellino Christmas Fish Recipes

On December 22, 2025 By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

The FEAST of The 7 FISH

“ITALIAN CHRISTMAS”

AMAZON.com

La FAMIGLIA

“La VIGILIA”

The FEAST of The 7 FISH. “ITALIAN CHRISTMAS”

Daniel Bellino-Zwicke is the author of

The Feast of The 7 Fish, a popular cookbook celebrating the Italian-American Christmas Eve tradition. The book features recipes, stories, and instructions for preparing the multi-course seafood meal, often called La Vigilia.

About Daniel Bellino-Zwicke:

He is a long-time Italian food and wine professional from New York.

He has worked as a chef, wine director, and managing partner at various restaurants, including
Bar Cichetti

, which he founded.
Bellino-Zwicke has authored several best-selling Italian cookbooks, including Sunday Sauce, Ragu Bolognese Cookbook, and Positano The Amalfi Coast Cookbook.
He often writes about Italian-American cuisine and culture, incorporating personal stories and travel experiences.
About the book, The Feast of The 7 Fish:

The book serves as both a cookbook and a cultural guide to the traditional meal.

It provides historical context for the Southern Italian and Italian-American Christmas Eve feast.
The recipes include traditional dishes such as Baked Clams Oreganta, Seafood Salad, Linguine with Clam Sauce, and Mussels Marinara.
The book aims to preserve and share the family tradition, which has often been passed down orally through generations.
The tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes:
Origin: It is an Italian-American tradition that evolved from the Catholic practice of abstaining from meat on the eve of holy days. While fish-centric meals are common in Southern Italy, the specific “seven fishes” tradition is largely an American development.

Symbolism: The number seven can symbolize various things, including the seven sacraments of the Catholic Church, the seven hills of Rome, or the seven days of creation.
The meal: It is a multi-course dinner featuring a variety of seafood, which can include baccalà (salt cod), calamari, clams, mussels, and eel. The specific dishes often vary by region and family tradition.

SETTE PESCI

Neapolitan Meatball Rice Timballo Recipe – Sartu of Naples

On September 8, 2025 By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

“SARTU”

NEAPOLITAN RICE TIMBALE with MEATBALLS

TIMBALLO di POLPETTE

Neapolitan Meatball / Rice Timbale

This is a great little antipasto item they make in Naples, and places along the Amalfi Coast. It’s an excellent dish to serve, preceding a fish, meat, or pasta course of any type, especially pasta with mussels or Spaghetti Vongole. This makes a great buffet or picnic lunch item with frittata, salumi, cheese, and fruit to go along in your picnic basket. As we’ve said, one of these timballo makes a wonderful antipasto, or you can serve two or three on a plate for a nice hearty main-course.

I also suggest, if you like, double the size of the meatball recipe below, to make a larger batch, if you want some leftover meatballs to make Meatball Sandwiches the next day, or serve one timballo on a plate with 3 or 4 meatballs for another great alternative main-course dish.

INGREDIENTS :

1 pound Arborio Rice

1 small Onion, peeled and diced fine

3/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

4 tablespoons Olive Oil

1 cup Tomato Sauce

1/2 teaspoon Salt

MEATBALLS INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces ground Bee1 large Egg

1/2 teaspoon each of Salt & Black Black Pepper

1/2 cup Breadcrumbs mixed with 1/4 cup Milk

1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

1/4 cup Italian Parsley, chopped fine

Vegetable Oil for Frying Meatballs

1/4 cup Flour

NOTE : Bake these Timballi in a standard Muffin Pan, or individual molds if you have them. Grease your muffin pan (or molds) with softened butter.

FILLING INGREDIENTS :

1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano, grated

1/2 cup Provolone or Caciocavallo Cheese

1/c cup Boiled Ham, diced

MEATBALLS PREPARATION
In a large mixing bowl, add the ground Beef, Salt & Black Pepper, grated Parmigiano, chopped Parlsey, breadcrumbs, and Egg, mix until well incorporated.
Shape the beef mixture into small meatballs, a bit smaller than a Walnut and place on a dry sheet pan. Once all the meat has been formed into small meatballs, take each meatball and dredge in the flour to coat lightly. Shake off excess flour and place the meatball back on the pan. Repeat until all the meatballs have been coated with the flour.
Pour the vegetable oil into a non-stick pan, and heat over high heat until the oil is at frying temp. Cook the meatballs in two batches over medium-high heat. Brown meatballs on all sides, then place on pan with paper towels to absorb the excess oil.
Set meatballs aside to cool.
Rice Preparation :
Fill a large pot with the Olive Oil and chopped Onion and cook on medium heat for 4 minutes. Add rice and 1/2 teaspoon Salt and cook for 2 minutes on low heat. Add 2 quarts of water and bring to the boil. Cook the rice at a medium simmer for 12 minutes. Drain rice in a wire strainer or colander.
Let the rice cool for 5 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and 1/2 teaspoon of White Pepper to the rice and mix. Add 3/4 cup grated Parmigiano to rice and mix. Add 1 cup Tomato Sauce to rice and mix.
Meanwhile butter the molds and set aside.
Form a layer of rice at the base and in the edges and press with the back of the spoon, place the ham in the center, the Provolone and a Meatball, a little tomato sauce and a bit of Parmesan, cover with rice.
Bake in a preheated oven at 325 degrees for 18 minutes.
As the timballi are baking, heat remaining tomato sauce.
Remove from the oven to cool for 5 minutes, gently flip on a plate.
Place a little tomato sauce on a plate, place one Timballo on top of sauce, then garnish with a nice Basil Flower for each. Serve your guests.

This Recipe has been Excerpted from Daniel Bellino Zwicke’s new forthcoming book (February 2021) POSITANO The AMALFI COST COOKBOOK – Travel Guide

Broadway Fifth Press, New York, NY

POSITANO is COMING !!!!

POSITANO The AMALFI COAST COOKBOOK

TRAVEL GUIDE

by Daniel Bellino Zwicke

RECIPES of POSITANO – NAPLES – The AMALFI COAST

And TRAVEL GUIDE by Bestselling Italian Cookbook Author

DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

COMING February 2021

Will be Available on AMAZON.com

Recipe – Minestrone Genovese by Italian Cookbook author Daniel Bellino Zwicke

On June 20, 2025 By Daniel BellinoIn PositanoLeave a comment

MINESTRONE GENOVESE

alla BELLINO

MINESTRONE GENOVESE

Mixed Vegetable Soup of Genoa

Minestrone may very well be the most popular of all Italian soups. It was first created as a way of using leftover vegetables from the previous night’s dinner, so as not to let those vegetables or anything go to waste. Minestrone can be made from any variety of vegetables, most popular are: onions, potatoes, carrots, zucchini, tomatoes, and peas. Add a little salt, pepper, olive oil, and garlic, cook and right there you have the basic Minestrone Soup. The main thing that makes Minestrone Genovese different from this or other basic Minestrone soups, is the addition when serving the Minestrone, adding a dollop of freshly made Basil Pesto, Genoa’s most famous food item of all, that just about everybody loves.

MINESTRONE GENOVESE

Ingredients :

5 tablespoons best quality Italian Olive Oil

1 medium Onion, peeled and chopped

2 Carrots, peeled and cut to medium dice

2 medium Zucchini, washed and diced ½” dice

5 plum Tomatoes, fresh or canned, chopped

2 large Potatoes, peeled and cut to ¾” dice

2 Bay Leaves

2 cloves Garlic, peeled and chopped

7 cups water

1 cup frozen Peas

2 cups fresh Spinach, washed and chopped

¼ pound Stellini Pastina, or Ditalini

1 teaspoon each of Salt & ground Black Pepper

1 – 15 ounce can Cannellini Beans

3 tablespoons Basil Pesto (preceding Recipe)

Preparation :

Add the Olive Oil and chopped Onions to a large stainless steel pot.

Turn the heat on to medium and cook for 4 minutes while stirring.

Lower heat to low, and add the garlic. Cook on low heat for 3 minutes.

Add the Tomatoes. Sprinkle a little salt & black pepper over the tomatoes.

Cook on medium heat for 4 minutes, stirring with a wooden spoon.

Add the Carrots and Zucchini and stir.

Add the Potatoes, the water, and Bay Leaves, Slat, & Black Pepper. Turn heat to high and bring all to the boil.

Once the water is boiling, lower heat so the soup is at a low simmer. Let cook for 25-30 minutes.

While the soup is simmering, cook the pasta in a separate pot in boiling salted water, according to directions on the package. Strain the pasta in a colander and let cool.

After the soup has been cooking for 25 minutes, add the Cannellini Beans, and cook on medium heat for 4 minutes.

Add the Spinach and cook for 3 minutes.

Add the cooked Pasta and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes.

The soup is done.

To serve, fill a soup bowl with the Minestrone. Add a small dollop of Basil Pesto and serve.

Enjoy!

This Recipe is complements from author Daniel Bellino

It is excerpted from his forthcoming cookbook, which he is currently working on. The working title of the book is “Rome Venice Pizza Pasta and ???”

Note : This is what is known as a “working title” and it may or may not be the Title of the Book, once published.

… “Thanks, Daniel Bellino” …