Creamy Italian Chicken Carbonara (Printable)

Tender chicken, crispy bacon, and creamy Parmesan-egg sauce combine in this comforting Italian pasta dish.

# 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

# Directions:

01 - Cook pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
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 bowl, whisk together eggs, grated Parmesan, cream if using, and generous amount of black pepper.
04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet with bacon, garlic, and chicken, tossing to combine.
05 - Pour egg-Parmesan mixture over pasta, tossing quickly and continuously off heat to create creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water gradually until sauce reaches desired consistency.
06 - Divide into bowls and serve immediately topped with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like a restaurant splurge but comes together faster than ordering takeout.
  • The creamy sauce clings to every strand of pasta without feeling heavy or overdone.
  • Leftover rotisserie chicken transforms into something elegant and completely new.
  • You can make it traditional or add cream, and either way it feels like a warm hug.
02 -
  • The skillet must be off the heat when you add the eggs, or you will end up with scrambled eggs instead of a smooth sauce.
  • Reserve that pasta water before you drain, it is the only thing that will loosen the sauce without breaking it.
  • Toss constantly and confidently, hesitation leads to clumps and uneven coating.
  • Serve immediately, carbonara does not reheat well and loses its silky texture if it sits too long.
03 -
  • Use the hottest pasta water you can get and toss immediately, the heat is what transforms raw eggs into a glossy sauce.
  • Grate your Parmesan fresh every single time, the pre shredded kind has anti caking agents that ruin the texture.
  • Crack your eggs into a separate bowl first, just in case a shell sneaks in or one of them is bad.
  • Taste the pasta water before you drain it, if it is not salty enough, your sauce will taste flat no matter how much cheese you add.
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