One of the great things about the 100 Things is that the list is alive. We found ourselves eating so much carbonara in Rome that we started comparing and ranking them. And a Thing was born, one much more entertaining to read about than the one it replaced. Trust me.

This is part of our 100 Things in 2018 challenge. Make sure to click on the photos!

Carbonara, if you’re not aware, is a simple pasta preparation. You cook the noodles until they’re almost perfect, then toss them in a bowl full of pecorino cheese and eggs and bacon (traditionally guanciale, which is cured pork cheek), and then serve with a dusting of more pecorino and a bit of pepper. It’s incredibly simple, and quite possibly the best possible pasta.

We ate a boatload of this stuff in Italy, and even made some at home for the kids with some pecorino we bought on the trip! The kids loved it as much as we do, and while we don’t do carb-heavy meals like this very often in our house, this one might be a new family favorite.