Creamy Chicken Carbonara Pasta (Printable Format)

Luxurious Italian-inspired pasta with shredded chicken, crispy bacon, and creamy Parmesan-egg sauce. Comfort food perfection.

# What's Needed:

→ 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 for serving
10 - Fresh parsley, chopped, optional

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add diced bacon or pancetta and cook for approximately 5 minutes until crispy. Add chopped garlic and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Stir in shredded chicken to warm through. Remove from heat.
03 - In a mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, grated Parmesan, cream if using, and a generous amount of black pepper until well combined.
04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet with bacon, garlic, and chicken. Toss thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
05 - Pour egg-Parmesan mixture over pasta and toss quickly and continuously while off the heat to create a silky sauce. Add reserved pasta water gradually, a little at a time, until desired sauce consistency is achieved.
06 - Transfer to serving plates immediately. Top with extra grated Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley if desired. Serve at once.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It comes together in the time it takes to boil pasta, so you can have something indulgent on the table in half an hour.
  • The creamy sauce happens without any heavy stirring or reducing, just the magic of hot pasta and whisked eggs meeting at the right moment.
  • Leftover chicken gets a second life here, transforming into something that tastes completely intentional.
  • It's rich enough to feel like comfort food but light enough that you won't need a nap afterward.
02 -
  • Turn off the heat before adding the egg mixture or you'll end up with scrambled eggs instead of a creamy sauce, I learned this the hard way on my third attempt.
  • The reserved pasta water is not optional, its starch helps emulsify everything into a cohesive sauce instead of a separated mess.
  • Room temperature eggs mix more smoothly and are less likely to seize when they hit the hot pasta.
  • Don't skip the tossing step, standing still means uneven coating and potential clumping in the bottom of the pan.
03 -
  • Warm your serving bowls in the oven for a minute before plating so the carbonara stays hot longer and the sauce doesn't stiffen up immediately.
  • Crack your eggs into a separate bowl first to avoid any rogue shell pieces ruining your silky sauce.
  • Use tongs instead of a spoon for tossing, they give you better control and help the sauce coat every strand evenly.
  • Taste the bacon before adding extra salt to the sauce, it's usually salty enough on its own and you can always adjust at the end.
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