Is there anyone who doesn’t drool over a creamy, dreamy plate of carbonara? Just saying the name aloud will send everyone in the room into a unison “mmmmm”. That sauce, so simple, so cheesy, tossed with bacon, and today, chicken! I may not be following the stringent rules of carbonara, but it is my kitchen after all! While I love a big serving of carbonara, it always feels like something is missing. It needs a little extra protein to break up those carbs! For me, pasta is an all-in-one meal. I don’t go about making sides for it! Or, worse yet, having the pasta as a side. No. It needs to be the star on its own. That’s where this chicken carbonara comes in! It’s a wonderful and filling meal all by itself.
Ingredients
Spaghetti – Any long shaped pasta will work. Fettuccine, linguine, spaghettini, it will all work. Pasta cooking water – Don’t drain all the water, save about 1 1/4 cups. Eggs – I used two full eggs and two egg yolks. Parmesan cheese – Use fresh Parmesan rather than canned. This will give you a melty, silky, sauce rather than a grainy one. Salt & pepper – Season to taste. Bacon – Use guanciale or pancetta if you’re looking for authenticity. Chicken – This is a great opportunity to use up some leftover chicken. Garlic – As much or little as you like. Basil – Freshly chopped for garnish.
How to make chicken carbonara
Bacon in carbonara?
Half of you will read this heading and think, “What’s wrong with bacon??” while the other half are reading the ingredient list, shocked and appalled to see it listed. Believe it or not, bacon in carbonara is quite the controversy. Traditionally, carbonara is made with, ideally, guanciale, and if not, pancetta as an acceptable second choice. The problem many find with making a traditional carbonara is that these two options are neither easy to find nor affordable. That’s where bacon comes in! It’s found at every grocery store, and it costs much less. It may not be traditional, but it is a fantastic alternative for those who would like to tackle homemade carbonara. At the end of the day, it’s your kitchen, and your rules!
What kinds of pasta can I use?
Carbonara is traditionally made with spaghetti. The long noodles are ideal for trapping the heat, grabbing the sauce, and cooking those eggs. Since we aren’t using direct heat for the eggs, we need to capture as much heat as possible in the noodles. Long noodles are your perfect insulator. Other types you can use are linguini, fettuccine, spaghettini, tagliatelle, capellini, bucatini, or Italian vermicelli.
Are the eggs cooked?
The trick to making a successful carbonara is to create a silky, thickened sauce with a base of eggs and cheese without scrambling the eggs with direct heat. The best way to mitigate the worry of under-cooked eggs is to time your carbonara well. Start frying up your bacon as the pasta cooks. This will ensure when the pasta hits the skillet, it will still be hot. Tossing it in the skillet, over heat, with the pasta water, will coat every single noodle and make them piping hot. This will retain enough heat to cook the eggs, without scrambling them, into a beautiful silky sauce that is safe to eat.
Leftovers
Transfer your leftovers to an airtight container and keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. I don’t suggest freezing your chicken carbonara. Not only will the noodles become too soft after being frozen and thawed, the egg-based sauce will risk separating and creating an unpleasant texture.
Reheating
Looking for more drool-worthy pasta recipes?
Creamy Carbonara Carbonara Mac n Cheese Soufflé Ramen Carbonara Shrimp Scampi One Pot Creamy Parmesan Pasta Aglio e Olio Easy Pasta Alfredo Bacon Leek Pasta Easy Carbonara
