Creamy Chicken Carbonara Pasta (Printable)

Luxurious Italian pasta with tender shredded chicken, crispy bacon, and creamy Parmesan-egg sauce. Quick and comforting.

# 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
07 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Aromatics

08 - 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

→ Garnish

09 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese
10 - Fresh parsley, chopped, optional

# How To Make It:

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 and cook until crisp, approximately 5 minutes. Add 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.
04 - Add drained pasta to the skillet with bacon, garlic, and chicken, tossing to combine.
05 - Pour the egg-Parmesan mixture over the pasta, tossing quickly and continuously off the heat to create a creamy sauce. Add reserved pasta water gradually until the sauce reaches desired consistency.
06 - Serve immediately, topped with extra Parmesan and chopped parsley if desired.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The sauce comes together in under a minute and clings to every strand of pasta like silk.
  • Leftover chicken transforms into something that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • It feels indulgent but uses ingredients you probably already have tucked in your fridge.
  • One pan does most of the work, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying the meal.
02 -
  • Turn off the heat before adding the egg mixture or you'll end up with scrambled eggs instead of a silky sauce.
  • Save more pasta water than you think you need because it's your only way to rescue a sauce that's too thick.
  • Use room temperature eggs so they incorporate more smoothly and are less likely to seize when they hit the warm pasta.
03 -
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet for a full minute before adding the egg mixture so the noodles cool just enough to prevent scrambling.
  • Use a large skillet with plenty of room to toss, because a crowded pan makes it nearly impossible to coat the pasta evenly.
  • Taste your bacon before seasoning the sauce, because if it's salty enough, you might not need to add any extra salt at all.
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