Creamy Chicken Carbonara Pasta (Printable version)

Creamy Italian pasta with tender chicken, crispy bacon, and luxurious Parmesan-egg sauce. A comfort food classic in just 35 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz spaghetti or fettuccine

→ Proteins

02 - 7 oz cooked chicken breast, shredded
03 - 5 oz bacon or pancetta, diced

→ Sauce

04 - 3 large eggs
05 - 2 oz grated Parmesan cheese
06 - 1/4 cup heavy cream, optional
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Aromatics

08 - 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

→ Garnish

09 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese to serve
10 - Fresh parsley, chopped, optional

# How to Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced bacon and cook until crisp, approximately 5 minutes. Stir in chopped garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Add shredded chicken and warm through. Remove skillet from heat.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, grated Parmesan, heavy cream if using, and a generous amount of black pepper until well combined.
04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet containing bacon, garlic, and chicken. Toss ingredients together until evenly distributed.
05 - Pour egg-Parmesan mixture over pasta and toss quickly and continuously off the heat to create a creamy sauce. Gradually add reserved pasta water in small amounts until sauce reaches desired consistency.
06 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately. Top with additional Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It uses up leftover chicken without feeling like leftovers at all.
  • The sauce comes together in under a minute and clings to every strand of pasta.
  • Youll get that restaurant-quality creaminess without opening a single jar.
  • Its rich enough to impress guests but easy enough for a weeknight.
02 -
  • Always take the skillet off the heat before adding the egg mixture or youll end up with scrambled eggs instead of sauce.
  • The pasta water is not optional, its the secret to a sauce that clings and shines instead of clumping.
  • Toss quickly and constantly when adding the eggs, hesitation is what turns them into curds.
03 -
  • Let your eggs and cream sit at room temperature for 10 minutes before whisking so they blend more smoothly with the hot pasta.
  • Use a skillet large enough to toss everything comfortably, cramped pasta wont coat evenly.
  • Taste the bacon before salting the sauce, it can be salty enough on its own depending on the brand.
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