Creamy Italian Chicken Carbonara (Printable Version)

A luxurious Italian pasta with shredded chicken, crispy bacon, and creamy Parmesan-egg sauce. Quick, comforting, and elegant.

# What You'll 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 for serving
10 - Fresh parsley, chopped, optional

# How to Prepare:

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

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent hours cooking, but you are done in 35 minutes flat.
  • The creamy sauce happens without cream if you want it to, just eggs and cheese doing magic.
  • Leftovers transform into something that feels fancy enough for guests.
  • One pan, one pot, and a bowl, so cleanup is mercifully quick.
02 -
  • Take the skillet off the heat before adding the eggs, or you will end up with scrambled eggs instead of a creamy sauce, I learned this the hard way on attempt number two.
  • That reserved pasta water is not optional, the starch in it helps the sauce emulsify and cling, turning it from a broken mess into something velvety and perfect.
  • Work fast once you add the eggs, hesitation is your enemy here, confidence and quick tossing are what make carbonara magic happen.
03 -
  • Always grate your own Parmesan, the pre-shredded kind has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
  • If the sauce seems too thick, add pasta water one tablespoon at a time while tossing, it loosens everything up without diluting the flavor.
  • Serve carbonara in warm bowls, the heat helps keep the sauce creamy and prevents it from seizing up on a cold plate.
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