Description
Rich and comforting chicken carbonara delivers a classic Italian pasta experience with silky egg sauce and crispy pancetta. Cheese-coated noodles and tender chicken create a satisfying meal you’ll want to savor with friends.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450g) chicken breast, boneless, skinless, diced
- 4 oz (115g) bacon, diced
- 3 large eggs
- 12 oz (340g) spaghetti or fettuccine
- ½ cup (120 ml) Parmesan cheese, grated (plus extra for garnish)
- ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream (optional, for extra creaminess)
- 2 tbsps olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- ¼ tsp salt (to taste)
- ¼ tsp black pepper (to taste)
- ¼ cup (60 ml) parsley, fresh, chopped (optional, for garnish)
Instructions
- Pasta Preparation: Bring a large pot of salted water to a vigorous boil. Cook pasta until al dente, reserving a cup of starchy cooking water before draining.
- Chicken Cooking: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Sauté chicken pieces until golden and fully cooked, then set aside on a separate plate.
- Bacon Rendering: In the same skillet, crisp bacon until perfectly brown. Remove bacon, reserving one tablespoon of fat in the pan.
- Sauce Creation: Whisk eggs, Parmesan, cream, salt, and black pepper in a mixing bowl until smooth and well-combined.
- Sauce Integration: Reduce skillet heat to low. Add pasta to the bacon fat, coating thoroughly. Pour egg mixture over pasta, stirring constantly to prevent scrambling. Gradually add reserved pasta water to create a silky, creamy sauce.
- Final Assembly: Fold cooked chicken and crispy bacon pieces into the pasta. Ensure all ingredients are evenly distributed and heated through.
- Serving: Plate the carbonara immediately. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese, a generous grind of black pepper, and freshly chopped parsley. Serve hot for maximum flavor and texture.
Notes
- Prevent Egg Scrambling: Maintain low heat and continuously stir when adding egg mixture to prevent unwanted scrambled egg texture, ensuring a smooth, creamy sauce.
- Pasta Water Magic: Reserve starchy pasta water as a secret weapon to adjust sauce consistency, helping create a silky, glossy coating that perfectly binds ingredients.
- Crisp Bacon Technique: Render bacon slowly to extract maximum flavor and achieve a perfectly crisp texture, draining excess grease for a cleaner, more refined final dish.
- Temperature Control: Work quickly and keep skillet temperature low when combining ingredients to maintain the delicate balance of flavors and prevent sauce from breaking or becoming grainy.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 569
- Sugar: 1g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 27g
- Saturated Fat: 10g
- Unsaturated Fat: 15g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 51g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 34g
- Cholesterol: 225mg