Creamy Italian Chicken Carbonara (Printable)

A creamy Italian pasta featuring tender chicken, crispy bacon, and luxurious Parmesan-egg sauce. Ready 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 for extra creaminess
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Aromatics

08 - 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

→ Garnish

09 - Extra grated Parmesan for serving
10 - Fresh parsley, chopped, optional

# How-To Steps:

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 generous 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 sauce reaches desired consistency.
06 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It transforms leftover chicken into something that feels indulgent and new without much effort.
  • The sauce clings to every strand of pasta, rich and silky, with crispy bacon adding bursts of salt and smoke.
  • You can have dinner on the table in half an hour, even on nights when youre too tired to think.
02 -
  • Take the skillet off the heat before adding the egg mixture or youll end up with scrambled eggs instead of a smooth sauce.
  • Toss the pasta constantly and confidently, the motion and the residual heat are what cook the eggs gently into that creamy coating.
  • If the sauce looks too thick, add pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it loosens and becomes glossy.
03 -
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan from a block, the pre-shredded kind has anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the sauce.
  • If youre nervous about scrambling the eggs, temper them first by whisking in a few spoonfuls of hot pasta water before adding the mixture to the skillet.
  • Always save more pasta water than you think youll need, its your secret weapon for adjusting the sauce to the perfect consistency.
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