Name: Fettuccine alla Papalina
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 360 g fettuccine; 120 g guanciale; 0.5 piece onion; 40 g butter; 150 g peas; 3 piece egg; 60 g parmigiano reggiano; 0 salt; 0 black pepper

Fettuccine alla Papalina

Rome's gentle, aristocratic answer to carbonara: silky egg-bound fettuccine with ham, sweet peas, and onion softened in butter.

🇮🇹 Italy ·Europe · $$

15 min Prep

20 min Cook

35 min Total

4 portions

Fettuccine alla Papalina is a creamy Roman first course often called the noble carbonara. It was created near the Vatican for Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, the future Pope Pius XII, who asked for a softer, more refined take on the rustic classic. The Vatican kitchen kept the egg and cheese binding but swapped guanciale for ham, oil for butter, and pecorino for parmigiano reggiano, then folded in onion and sweet peas. Butter and onion give the sauce a velvety body, while the peas add a quiet sweetness that sets it apart from carbonara. Fresh egg fettuccine carries the glossy egg-and-parmesan cream far better than dried spaghetti would. The dish stays luxurious without ever turning heavy, which is exactly the elegance it was named for.

Ingredients

360 g fettuccine fresh egg fettuccine

120 g guanciale or prosciutto cotto; cut into strips or small cubes

0.5 piece onion small, finely chopped

40 g butter

150 g peas fresh or frozen

3 piece egg use the yolks plus 1 whole egg

60 g parmigiano reggiano finely grated

0 salt for the pasta water and to taste

0 black pepper freshly ground, to taste

Ingredients

4 portions

360 gfettuccine fresh egg fettuccine

120 gguanciale or prosciutto cotto; cut into strips or small cubes

0.5 pieceonion small, finely chopped

40 gbutter

150 gpeas fresh or frozen

3 pieceegg use the yolks plus 1 whole egg

60 gparmigiano reggiano finely grated

salt for the pasta water and to taste

black pepper freshly ground, to taste

Instructions

Build the base

1

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil for the pasta. Meanwhile, finely chop the onion and cut the guanciale or prosciutto cotto into short strips.
~5 min
2

Melt the butter in a wide pan over low heat. Add the onion and cook gently until soft and translucent, adding a spoonful of water if it starts to color too fast.
~5 min
3

Add the ham and the peas to the pan. Cook over medium-low heat until the ham renders and the peas are tender, seasoning lightly with pepper. Add a ladle of pasta water if the pan looks dry.
~6 min

Make the egg cream and finish

1

In a bowl, whisk the eggs with the grated parmigiano reggiano and a generous grind of black pepper until smooth. Do not add salt, since the ham and cheese are already savory.
~2 min
2

Cook the fettuccine in the boiling water until just al dente, about 2 to 3 minutes for fresh pasta. Reserve a cup of the starchy cooking water before draining.
~3 min
3

Transfer the drained pasta into the pan with the ham and peas and toss for about a minute to coat, loosening with a splash of pasta water.
~1 min
4

Take the pan off the heat and pour in the egg and parmigiano mixture. Toss quickly and constantly so the residual warmth turns it into a glossy cream rather than scrambling it. Loosen with a little more pasta water until silky, then serve at once with extra parmigiano and pepper.
~2 min

Credits & Inspiration

The Pasta Project
English-language recipe with quantities and method for the Roman ham-and-pea version, plus its Vatican origin.
Dissapore
Italian recipe covering the classic Roman method and accepted variations such as peas and cooked ham.
Pasta Grammar
Step-by-step authentic method using butter, onion, prosciutto, peas, and egg yolks, finished off the heat without cream.
Memorie di Angelina
History and recipe explaining the substitutions made from carbonara for the future Pope Pius XII.
Il Chicco di Mais (GialloZafferano)
Italian-language original Roman recipe detailing ham, butter, onion, egg yolks, and parmigiano.