Hen Carbonara - The Keep At Dwelling Chef

It’s simply too darn straightforward to like Hen Carbonara with that velvety sauce, crispy bacon, and pecorino romano cheese. Significantly, how may you not love this dish? And, including hen to a basic carbonara makes this meal a bit extra substantial, so it’s not simply loading up on the pasta.

However while you just do wish to load up on the pasta, go for our Authentic Pasta Carbonara.

Why Our Recipe

Prepared in simply half-hour which is ideal for weeknight dinners.
Deliciously juicy hen provides to the basic pasta to make it extra filling.
The sauce is velvety easy, made with eggs, pasta water, and pecorino romano cheese.

Closeup shot of tongs picking up chicken carbonara in cast iron pot.

No want to attend for an important day to order this at your favourite Italian restaurant when you notice how straightforward it’s to make. Take pleasure in this at your kitchen desk every time the craving hits! Add some hen to a basic carbonara and it’s a complete meal prepared in half-hour. You continue to have that wonderful, thick-cut bacon and a velvety egg and cheese sauce. In case you don’t have pecorino romano, you’ll be able to at all times cheat and use parmesan—we received’t inform if you happen to received’t. We do it on a regular basis!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients used to make chicken carbonara.

Thick-Reduce Bacon: You possibly can at all times substitute pancetta for bacon which is the genuine ingredient. Pancetta isn’t at all times as straightforward to return by and might be dearer, so we default to bacon as the higher choice for many of our viewers.
Hen Breasts: Boneless, skinless hen breasts are nice for this recipe. Cube into bite-sized items.
Eggs: You’ll need massive grade AA eggs for this recipe. You’ll use a mixture of egg whites and entire eggs for the right silky easy sauce.
Spaghetti: Simply use from the field. Cook dinner to al dente, tender however agency.
Pecorino Romano Cheese: You possibly can simply substitute with parmesan cheese. Simply ensure that it’s freshly grated as pre-grated doesn’t soften as easily and might make the sauce gritty.
Parsley: It’s simply there so as to add a pop of shade. It’s elective, however makes it look just a little extra fancy.

Hen Choices

We choose to make use of boneless skinless hen breasts, however you may at all times use hen thighs if you happen to choose darkish meat or a fattier minimize of hen. These boneless skinless hen thighs are at all times juicier than the breasts.

Time & Cash Saver

You possibly can simply use leftover hen or shredded rotisserie hen on this recipe. You’ll want about 2 cups or you’ll be able to actually load it up with a cup or two extra. Rotisserie hen is commonly bought as one thing referred to as a “loss chief” for grocery shops the place they promote the hen at or under value to get you into the shop and hopefully purchase different issues. Which means that rotisserie hen is commonly one of the best worth per pound for hen you may get. Save just a little time, save just a little cash.

Pasta Choices

Spaghetti is the standard alternative for pasta in a carbonara, nevertheless, you don’t have to really feel tied to that. You might use nearly any lengthy, skinny pasta form. Different favorites are linguine, fettuccine, and bucatini.

Overhead shot of chicken carbonara in cast iron pot.

Pasta Water

Pasta water is the key weapon when combining pasta and cheese. The starch that’s pulled from the pasta through the cooking course of emulsifies (binds) the elements collectively, making a easy sauce. No clumpy cheese right here. You possibly can at all times use just a little extra pasta water to regulate the thickness of your sauce as wanted.

Wait till the final minute to get your pasta water in order that the water is stuffed with starch. Dip the sting of a glass 2-cup measuring cup into the pot of pasta water and fill the cup, ensuring you get a minimum of 1 1/2 cups. Then, you’ll be able to go forward and drain your pasta.