Chicken Carbonara Pasta Dish (Printable Version)

Tender chicken and crisp bacon blend with pasta in a rich, creamy Parmesan sauce.

# 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, for extra creaminess)
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Aromatics

08 - 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

→ Garnish

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

# Step-by-Step Guide:

01 - Boil pasta in a large pot of salted water according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water and drain.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Cook bacon or pancetta until crisp, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in shredded chicken and warm through. Remove from heat.
03 - In a bowl, whisk eggs, grated Parmesan, heavy cream if using, and a generous amount of black pepper until combined.
04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet with bacon, garlic, and chicken. Toss to combine evenly.
05 - Off the heat, pour egg-Parmesan mixture over pasta, tossing quickly and continuously to create a creamy sauce. Gradually add reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Plate immediately and garnish with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • It comes together in under 35 minutes, which means weeknight dinners feel fancy without the fuss.
  • The creamy sauce happens through pure technique and egg yolks, no cream required unless you want it.
  • Shredded chicken makes it heartier than traditional versions while keeping the elegance intact.
02 -
  • Temperature control is everything: cold eggs scramble into chunks, so the pasta must be hot and you must work off the heat to create that perfect creamy texture.
  • Pasta water is liquid gold here, not waste; its starch is what transforms the eggs and cheese into a sauce instead of a broken, grainy mess.
03 -
  • Whisk your egg mixture while the pasta finishes cooking so everything is ready at exactly the same moment.
  • If your sauce looks too thick at the end, a little pasta water fixes it instantly, but if it breaks and looks grainy, you've added cold eggs to hot pasta off the heat, which is a learning experience everyone has once.
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