Anecdotally, it hasn't caused me trouble. Then again, reheating it to a palatable temp the next day also cooks the egg through.

Read a few sources like the eGullet egg faq and decide for yourself.

"at average rates of consumption, you would encounter a contaminated egg once every 42 years, and you probably wouldn't get sick from eating it (the last estimate I saw was that there is 1 salmonella outbreak per 1 billion eggs consumed)."

Me, I wouldn't worry. It seems unlikely that the egg is pre-infected, even if the numbers presented above are too optimistic by double. Therefore, your worry becomes your own native bugs - and the acid in the tomato sauce would be pretty inhospitable for your local kitchen microfauna.

Mangia!

D'oh! On re-read: Carbonara. No tomato, ergo no acid. I'd still eat it.

I used to cook a lot and raw eggs were not a rarity. I typically refrigerated the leftovers for up to three days before throwing the rest out. I also used to put raw eggs into my protein shakes. I quit doing that for more than one reason, but I will still occasionally have something with raw egg in it.

I assume the time between the food being prepared and put into the fridge is relatively short.

I have yet to become ill from raw eggs, the one time I had food poisoning (by far the worst "sickness" I have ever endured) was from a Wendy's grilled chicken sandwich.

I would keep it no longer than three days at any rate.

I'm not worried about purchasing bad eggs - I'm worried about how long a raw egg (that has not been continuously refriegerated) is safe to eat before going bad. I've googled it but can't seem to find the answer. But I'm thinking - raw cookie dough is okay for a day or two if it's refrigerated, right? So, same concept hopefully.

On preview, thanks weretable - I am feeling reassured.

One of the issues with eggs, though, from what I understand, is that the longer you leave the egg out, the more likely it is to make you sick, I assume through cross-contamination. Which apparently is why it's more likely you'll get sick from eggs at restaurants than at home; they're using so many eggs, and are so busy, that they're more likely to leave the eggs sitting out around other things that my also be infected, like raw chicken.

That info comes from a science-minded cooking friend who is annoyed at how paranoid everyone is about raw eggs.

Which is to say... I agree with Triode.

I agree with Triode too, but my issue isn't with pre-infection, it's with how long my spaghetti will last in the refrigerator after I make it. Sounds like it should be okay for a day or two.

Yeah, but I think what we're saying is, or at least what I'm inarticulately trying to say is, the problem with raw eggs would be present from the second you cracked the egg, or because you left the able-to-be-infected eggs out around other sources of infection, like other raw eggs or chicken or something. Without that, there shouldn't be much chance of a problem.

Food poisoning pathogens almost entirely die at 63%C, UK food hygiene regulations like things to be heated to 70%C for good measure. Commercial fridges need to be at 6%C. The first important thing is to make sure the food is hot enough to kill the pathogens - if you're putting the sauce straight onto pasta just removed from its boiling water, you should be fine - the pasta will be hot enough and the coating of sauce on the strands thin enough that it *should* cook it through.

The other important thing is to get the unused pasta chilled down reasonably quickly. The longer it has at room temperature (well, between 6-63 degrees), the more chance any pathogens that are still present have to multiply. Chilling it down at the end of your meal will be fine (unless the carbonara is the start of a day-long banquet or something!)

I've been making my own mayo for the past couple of months and, touch wood, have so far been fine.

I'd eat it. Then again, I also eat meat that's been hung for weeks.

don't, eggs can go bad in an instant

amro,
After serving the food — the finished carbonara with said raw egg, refrigerate and eat later. No worries at all.
You can leave the finished carbonara out for a bit, but refrigerate the sooner the better, those pathogens TheDonF mentions. Less chance of a tummy ache later. You have 3 days or so to eat it, after that, it gets iffy tasting first.
Remember the old church picnic egg salad and no refrigeration story... The congregation all get ill.
As for the raw egg. I wouldn't be concerned in N/A. For all baking, eggs should be at room temperature. Staying power of unrefrigerated eggs¿ Not as long as refrigerated, but I don't know how many weeks before they'd start to spoil.

RECIPE
Raw Egg Desert — to die for./
An old favourite Polish recipe with raw egg is Chogiel mogiel ]pr. hoe-gielle mo-gielle[. Take 1 raw egg yolk, mix and start adding sugar. Mix to a creamy thick froth. It'll take a fair bit of sugar and mixing/electric mixer....it's the base for egg nog, babka and makowiec ]poppy seed streusel[ etc. hmmmmmm delishious./ Right filling too. The only stomach ache from raw egg was from eating too much chogiel mogiel.

occhiblu
The cross contamination you speak of is true, but through 'shared' cutting boards. Even recommended for home kitchens — separate cutting boards for chicken, meat and a 3rd for vegetables.
Of course you clean them properly ]vinegar & baking soda[, but you don't want to risk it.
I won't tell you the story of a banquet hall's kitchen, where POUNDS of chicken were being prepared, sitting in plastic tubs — eew./ ]stainless steel[ — at room temperature for — AGES./ The people booking that dinner must have had very strong stomachs. Yoiks./

I've reheated carbonara to no ill effects quite a few times.

I've also eaten a pickle out of a bag from a vending machine.