>

You’re carbonawronging.
I m afraid you got wrong carbonara. A good carbonara has a nutty flavor from egg yolk and cheesy/salt undertone from good parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground pepper. 
It's my favorite because it's the easiest pasta I can prepare. It used to be a working peasant's lunch, actually >

Carbone means coal in italian.
(pasta alla) carbonara, meaning roughly "pasta coal miners style" apparently was popular between, you guessed it, coal miners, since it's rich in fats and proteins. Helpful if you're doing hard physical labour for many hours a day.
It is also pretty cheap and relatively easy to make. >

That's actually a pretty fun fact to know. >

Who made this bland carbonara for you? Carbonara should be flavorful from guanciale and pecorino (for those not in the know, pecorino is sharper than parmigiano reggiano.) >

Then brother, you need to come to my house.
I'll blow your damn mind with my carbonara. >

Can I come to your house too? >

It's not just about "bacon", as the original recipe uses the fattier Guanciale (jowl).
I personally like to use diced smoked bacon stir-fried with onios, and lots of strong black pepper when served. >

"Wow, that Italian cheese sure is expensive! I bet that if I chop these individually packaged slices up, it will be just as good." >

"I'm just gonna make a comment assuming this guy doesn't know how to cook! He probably thinks trappista and mozzarella cheese is the same"
I haven't made Carbonara at home. The only times I've tried it has been in restaurants. I don't know what cheese they've used. Whatever they did, I didn't like it ¯\_( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)_/¯ >

I have made carbonara dozens of times and I have on occasion made the mistakes to try to substitute or be stingy with the cheese. It really does have a huge effect on the result. >

I thought I was the only one who felt this way.  I've tried carbonara 4 or 5 times and have never liked it >

Depends if it's made well >

Italian food is overrated in general. Still it can taste pretty good if you like basic things. >

Americanized Italian food or actual Italian food? I mainly eat south east Asian food and date an Indian so my food is usually heavily spiced. Italian food actually has some flavorful stuff! Osso bucco? Risotto? Anything with a true bolognese? Super yummy. There are basic Italian dishes like any other cuisine, but there's a lot of complex dishes as well :) >

Nobody said it doesnt have flavour. It's just basic. Like really, really basic. >

Basic in what sense? Ingredients? Flavor profile? >

Ingredients, flavour, lack of additional spices. It's very safe. >

So like the examples I gave, most have mirepoix, stock, herbs, wine, and some other jazz.. Usually most of which are solid well cooked/prepared ingredients on their own. Is that still safe/basic? I feel like we're almost talking about two different cuisines. Don't get me wrong Italian cuisine isn't my favorite but I wouldn't call it basic either. >

Well, when you compare it to for example indian cuisine or thai food... Yes, it's basic. Look, nobody says it's bad, because it's not. Dutch food is bad and almost every Dutch person will confirm this. But italian is ok, just extremely safe, basic and "meh". >

I think we'll agree to disagree. I'm not saying anyone is saying that it's bad, I'm saying that I disagree that it's basic. If you compare an osso bucco with a tikka  masala it's surprisingly similar in process. Seered meat, add in sautéed vegetables and aromatics, deglazed with something. Leave it to cook, then it differs as one braises and the other turns into a gravy base. You spice one with actual spices and the other with wine and stock/broth. What dishes would you consider basic? >

I like it quite a bit, but if you listen to Italians on the internet it (and any other Italian dish) is rated as highly as a cancer cure. So yeah, it's overrated. >

you never had real carbonara it seems.
cotto instead of bacon is a massive difference (with bacon it only tastes like bacon which is a pity)
some cotto and as long as everything is warm merge pasta with the cotto and the raw egg + parmesan mix - gives you a different result. >

Cotto like prosciutto cotto?
You're putting ham in carbonara? >

"Overrated" is overrated.
To each their own taste. >

First, how do you feel about American alfredo? Because that basically attempts to mimic the flavor profile of Carbonara.
A good carbonara has some spiciness from the cracked black pepper, saltiness from the pecorino/parm and guanciale, creamy richness from the egg and subsequent sauce, a nutty flavor profile from the pecorino and a meaty umami flavor profile from the guanciale. 
If you didn't taste those flavors, or you think throwing a metric shit ton of spices makes something 'flavorful', then I can't help you there. As a home cook who absolutely loves heavily spiced foods (made street tacos last night, about to eat leftover homemade lentil dahl with chutney for lunch for the third day in a row, and is known to make kimchi fried rice on the occasion), western European dishes that focus on using subtle and harmonious blends of flavor are just as good, if not better than some of those dishes when made right. >

That’s not carbonara’s fault. That’s bacon’s fault.
Pretty much anything with bacon in it immediately becomes “bacon with…” >

What kind of cheese you using? The prepackaged preshredded stuff? >

Nah i've never made it at home. Only tried it in restaurants. >

It tastes like creamy smoked parmesan and should melt in your mouth. If you have nothing else, you can also use lean smoked pork belly in an emergency. The combination of smoked fatty pork and melted parmesan with a hint of egg on pasta is hard to beat. Few and simple ingredients. Please only use freshly grated Parmesan and do not add salt. >

OK. Carbonara is not necessarily supposed to be the king of pasta dishes. I'm sorry if you don't like it.
I'm curious about exactly what sort of carbonara you've been eating. I'm not going to go all snobby and presume you "haven't been making it the right way" - I just don't know. But I'd sure like to know what you've been putting in it.
Also: 
I got a gut reaction from your post at first but, you know what? Upvote. It may actually be a case of a majority of people overeating carbonara. And it is truly an unpopular opinion. >

I've never made carbonara myself. Only tried it twice from restaurants. Once to try it, didn't like it. Second time to give it another shot. Didn't like it (again) >

It's just... not your thing I guess. I hope you don't get bashed for no reason in the comments.
Over here (France) people who make it at home tend to use whole eggs & cream + bacon bits, which is edible but just not carbonara.
I tend to use just egg yolks on very firm pasta, BUT I don't insist on pig cheek/jowl every time (so it's an approximation). I just like the runny egg/pasta thing but it can be sickly rich (rather than tasteless).
Peace ☮️ >

I don't know what ass carbonara you're having, but it definitely has a flavor >

No, just no >

The thing with carbonara is that most people haven’t eaten the real thing. >

This just means you've never had real Carbonara. The real version uses guanciale (cured pork jowl) which is absolutely nothing like bacon. It also uses two cheeses, both good quality Parmesan and Romano. Also, how the egg is added is very important. There is also zero cream in the real version >

Could be the case. Whatever it was, it wasn't to my liking >

Another day another time an American says bullshit about Italy and Italians. Jesus Christ, what is with us? Are we so relevant? Why don't you bother Swiss, Greek or Finns? >

He's not shitting on Italians, he's saying he doesn't like a certain pasta dish. >

Definitely unpopular opinion. Hard pass. >

If you ever ate the instant version from a bag that you mix with water, or the wrongly made one with cream, then yes, you are right. >

Sounds like you've been eating packet pasta or prepackaged sauces.
Actual freshly made carbonara with quality ingredients is tasty as fuck. >

The egg in that recipe can fuck right off >

Yeah fuck the single most important part of this specific recipe! >

That is correct! >

Depends how it's made. It's surprisingly easy to mess up. But if properly made, it's creamy and rich and smoky and overall quite nice.
You also need to use good ingredients. Eggs and cheese are not the same. If you've ever raised your own free-range hens, the eggs are far better than the budget white supermarket eggs. And I don't need to mention well-made cheese compared to pre-shredded cardboard texture stuff you buy in a one pound bag for $3.
Simplicity makes it difficult to hide mistakes, and the natural flavor of what's there needs to be good. If you have a really good seasonal ingredient, often you don't need any more than just some salt. This emphasis on eating good quality seasonal stuff and not adding things that hide the natural flavor is also a focus in Japanese cuisine. >

I m afraid you got wrong carbonara. A good carbonara has a nutty flavor from egg yolk and cheesy/salt undertone from good parmesan cheese, and some freshly ground pepper. 
It's my favorite because it's the easiest pasta I can prepare. It used to be a working peasant's lunch, actually >

Carbone means coal in italian.
(pasta alla) carbonara, meaning roughly "pasta coal miners style" apparently was popular between, you guessed it, coal miners, since it's rich in fats and proteins. Helpful if you're doing hard physical labour for many hours a day.
It is also pretty cheap and relatively easy to make. >

That's actually a pretty fun fact to know. >

Who made this bland carbonara for you? Carbonara should be flavorful from guanciale and pecorino (for those not in the know, pecorino is sharper than parmigiano reggiano.) >

Then brother, you need to come to my house.
I'll blow your damn mind with my carbonara. >

Can I come to your house too? >

It's not just about "bacon", as the original recipe uses the fattier Guanciale (jowl).
I personally like to use diced smoked bacon stir-fried with onios, and lots of strong black pepper when served. >

"Wow, that Italian cheese sure is expensive! I bet that if I chop these individually packaged slices up, it will be just as good." >

"I'm just gonna make a comment assuming this guy doesn't know how to cook! He probably thinks trappista and mozzarella cheese is the same"
I haven't made Carbonara at home. The only times I've tried it has been in restaurants. I don't know what cheese they've used. Whatever they did, I didn't like it ¯\_( ͡❛ ͜ʖ ͡❛)_/¯ >

I have made carbonara dozens of times and I have on occasion made the mistakes to try to substitute or be stingy with the cheese. It really does have a huge effect on the result. >

I thought I was the only one who felt this way.  I've tried carbonara 4 or 5 times and have never liked it >

Depends if it's made well >

Italian food is overrated in general. Still it can taste pretty good if you like basic things. >

Americanized Italian food or actual Italian food? I mainly eat south east Asian food and date an Indian so my food is usually heavily spiced. Italian food actually has some flavorful stuff! Osso bucco? Risotto? Anything with a true bolognese? Super yummy. There are basic Italian dishes like any other cuisine, but there's a lot of complex dishes as well :) >

Nobody said it doesnt have flavour. It's just basic. Like really, really basic. >

Basic in what sense? Ingredients? Flavor profile? >

Ingredients, flavour, lack of additional spices. It's very safe. >

So like the examples I gave, most have mirepoix, stock, herbs, wine, and some other jazz.. Usually most of which are solid well cooked/prepared ingredients on their own. Is that still safe/basic? I feel like we're almost talking about two different cuisines. Don't get me wrong Italian cuisine isn't my favorite but I wouldn't call it basic either. >

Well, when you compare it to for example indian cuisine or thai food... Yes, it's basic. Look, nobody says it's bad, because it's not. Dutch food is bad and almost every Dutch person will confirm this. But italian is ok, just extremely safe, basic and "meh". >

I think we'll agree to disagree. I'm not saying anyone is saying that it's bad, I'm saying that I disagree that it's basic. If you compare an osso bucco with a tikka  masala it's surprisingly similar in process. Seered meat, add in sautéed vegetables and aromatics, deglazed with something. Leave it to cook, then it differs as one braises and the other turns into a gravy base. You spice one with actual spices and the other with wine and stock/broth. What dishes would you consider basic? >

I like it quite a bit, but if you listen to Italians on the internet it (and any other Italian dish) is rated as highly as a cancer cure. So yeah, it's overrated. >

you never had real carbonara it seems.
cotto instead of bacon is a massive difference (with bacon it only tastes like bacon which is a pity)
some cotto and as long as everything is warm merge pasta with the cotto and the raw egg + parmesan mix - gives you a different result. >

Cotto like prosciutto cotto?
You're putting ham in carbonara? >

"Overrated" is overrated.
To each their own taste. >

First, how do you feel about American alfredo? Because that basically attempts to mimic the flavor profile of Carbonara.
A good carbonara has some spiciness from the cracked black pepper, saltiness from the pecorino/parm and guanciale, creamy richness from the egg and subsequent sauce, a nutty flavor profile from the pecorino and a meaty umami flavor profile from the guanciale. 
If you didn't taste those flavors, or you think throwing a metric shit ton of spices makes something 'flavorful', then I can't help you there. As a home cook who absolutely loves heavily spiced foods (made street tacos last night, about to eat leftover homemade lentil dahl with chutney for lunch for the third day in a row, and is known to make kimchi fried rice on the occasion), western European dishes that focus on using subtle and harmonious blends of flavor are just as good, if not better than some of those dishes when made right. >

That’s not carbonara’s fault. That’s bacon’s fault.
Pretty much anything with bacon in it immediately becomes “bacon with…” >

What kind of cheese you using? The prepackaged preshredded stuff? >

Nah i've never made it at home. Only tried it in restaurants. >

It tastes like creamy smoked parmesan and should melt in your mouth. If you have nothing else, you can also use lean smoked pork belly in an emergency. The combination of smoked fatty pork and melted parmesan with a hint of egg on pasta is hard to beat. Few and simple ingredients. Please only use freshly grated Parmesan and do not add salt. >

OK. Carbonara is not necessarily supposed to be the king of pasta dishes. I'm sorry if you don't like it.
I'm curious about exactly what sort of carbonara you've been eating. I'm not going to go all snobby and presume you "haven't been making it the right way" - I just don't know. But I'd sure like to know what you've been putting in it.
Also: 
I got a gut reaction from your post at first but, you know what? Upvote. It may actually be a case of a majority of people overeating carbonara. And it is truly an unpopular opinion. >

I've never made carbonara myself. Only tried it twice from restaurants. Once to try it, didn't like it. Second time to give it another shot. Didn't like it (again) >

It's just... not your thing I guess. I hope you don't get bashed for no reason in the comments.
Over here (France) people who make it at home tend to use whole eggs & cream + bacon bits, which is edible but just not carbonara.
I tend to use just egg yolks on very firm pasta, BUT I don't insist on pig cheek/jowl every time (so it's an approximation). I just like the runny egg/pasta thing but it can be sickly rich (rather than tasteless).
Peace ☮️ >

I don't know what ass carbonara you're having, but it definitely has a flavor >

No, just no >

The thing with carbonara is that most people haven’t eaten the real thing. >

This just means you've never had real Carbonara. The real version uses guanciale (cured pork jowl) which is absolutely nothing like bacon. It also uses two cheeses, both good quality Parmesan and Romano. Also, how the egg is added is very important. There is also zero cream in the real version >

Could be the case. Whatever it was, it wasn't to my liking >

Another day another time an American says bullshit about Italy and Italians. Jesus Christ, what is with us? Are we so relevant? Why don't you bother Swiss, Greek or Finns? >

He's not shitting on Italians, he's saying he doesn't like a certain pasta dish. >

Definitely unpopular opinion. Hard pass. >

If you ever ate the instant version from a bag that you mix with water, or the wrongly made one with cream, then yes, you are right. >

Sounds like you've been eating packet pasta or prepackaged sauces.
Actual freshly made carbonara with quality ingredients is tasty as fuck.