Creamy Italian Chicken Carbonara (Printable)

Creamy Italian pasta with tender chicken, crispy bacon, and silky Parmesan-egg sauce. A comforting classic ready in just 35 minutes.

# What You 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

# Step-by-Step:

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.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add bacon or pancetta and cook until crisp, about 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 a 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 the heat to create a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
06 - Serve immediately topped with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It transforms leftover chicken into something that feels special and indulgent without much effort.
  • The creamy sauce clings to every strand of pasta, and you only need one pot and one pan.
  • Its rich enough for a date night but easy enough for a weeknight when youre too tired to think.
02 -
  • The pan must be off the heat when you add the egg mixture or youll end up with scrambled eggs instead of a creamy sauce, I learned this the hard way twice.
  • Room temperature eggs are crucial because cold eggs seize up faster and wont blend smoothly into the pasta.
  • If you accidentally scramble the sauce, whisk in pasta water aggressively and it will sometimes come back together into something salvageable.
03 -
  • Toast the black pepper in the dry skillet for thirty seconds before adding the bacon, it releases oils that make the whole dish more aromatic.
  • Use tongs instead of a spoon to toss the pasta, it gives you more control and prevents the noodles from breaking.
  • If youre nervous about scrambling the eggs, temper them by whisking in a spoonful of hot pasta water before adding the mixture to the skillet.
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