Carbonara (“la classica”)

Words by Bianca Maria Schioler (she/her) (Italian, Danish)


Last week, I had a grand sum of $32.18 in my bank account, so believe me when I say I know the realities of living the all-engrossing student life on minimum income. It’s awful. All these experiences and opportunities are thrown our way but we rarely have the time or money to grasp them. However, just because you’re poor, hungover, and stressed out, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy the small things in life like good quality food (on a student budget).


Today, I bring you the classic, unbeatable carbonara. It’s done the original way with no cream, only a few cheap ingredients to get your mouth watering and your wallet humming. Like most Italian dishes, it’s cheap, humble, and bursting with flavour.


Carbonara (“la classica”)
makes 2-3 portions cost per portion: $2.80 vege: $2.90


  • 300g spaghetti

  • 2 eggs

  • 100g grated parmesan cheese

  • 3 rashers of bacon *or 7-8 white button mushrooms

  • Salt and pepper

  • Optional: chopped, fresh parsley, about a palmful


  1. Boil 2L of water and salt it. Make sure you salt it ^a lot^, the water needs to be almost as salty as seawater! Remember, salt is what gives food its umami (watch ^Salt Fat Acid Heat^ on Netflix if you’re feeling inspired). 


  1. Once it’s boiling (not before!), put your spaghetti in the pot and press it down so it’s  covered by water. Don’t cover. Leave to boil for 1-2 minutes less than the packet instructions suggest. If in doubt, taste it. Remember pasta should be ‘al dente’—just slightly hard—when you bite down, not mush. 


  1. Beat the 2 eggs in a bowl. Add the parmesan, salt and pepper (about a palmful of each), and parsley. Set aside.


  1. Dice up your bacon/mushrooms and fry them on a pan until they’re dark and crunchy. I like to fry my mushrooms in about a tablespoon of butter with a dash of milk to cream them up. Salt. 


  1. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan where you’ve got the bacon/mushroom, along with the egg mix. Stir it up. If it’s too runny, let it sit for about 30 seconds off the stove with a lid on top of the pan. The eggs should be slightly runny, not all dry and coagulated (look it up, word of the day). Serve with parmesan on top and a bit of fresh parsley if you’re feeling fancy.


Just like that, there’s a restaurant-quality meal on a student budget. Who needs money when you’ve got Salient? Keep an eye out for more StudyLink Approved Meal Steals from me in future issues, and in the meantime, go make some carbonara!  


Bianca Maria Schioler