Creamy Italian Chicken Carbonara (Print View)

A luxurious Italian pasta featuring shredded chicken, crispy bacon, and a silky Parmesan-egg sauce. Complete in 35 minutes.

# 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 Make It:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain thoroughly.
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 a generous amount of black pepper until well combined.
04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet with bacon, garlic, and chicken, tossing to combine thoroughly.
05 - Pour egg-Parmesan mixture over pasta, tossing quickly and continuously off the heat to create a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water gradually until desired sauce consistency is achieved.
06 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It transforms leftovers into something that feels special enough for company.
  • The sauce clings to every strand of pasta without needing a single drop of cream if you don't want it.
  • You get crispy bacon, tender chicken, and silky Parmesan all in one bowl.
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta and tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen.
02 -
  • Take the skillet off the heat before adding the egg mixture or you'll end up with scrambled eggs instead of sauce.
  • The pasta water is not optional, its starch is what makes the sauce cling and turn silky.
  • Work fast once you start combining everything, carbonara is all about timing and temperature.
03 -
  • Let your eggs come to room temperature before whisking them, cold eggs are harder to incorporate smoothly.
  • Save more pasta water than you think you need, it's your insurance policy for a silky sauce.
  • Use a large skillet so you have plenty of room to toss the pasta without making a mess.
  • Grate your Parmesan on the finest setting, it melts faster and blends into the sauce more easily.
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