Chicken Carbonara

Chicken Carbonara

Chicken Carbonara is a decadent and indulgent dish that is delightfully creamy.

This version is made with heavy cream, cream cheese, and egg yolks that combine with spices and seasonings to make this dish the ultimate comfort food.

Y’all know my husband is Italian, so it’s no surprise that we have Italian dishes at least once, if not twice per week.

My crew likes variety, so I have an arsenal of Italian Recipes that are on rotation!

 If you haven’t made Chicken Carbonara before, it is an Italian Dish made with chicken, pasta, creamy sauce, Parmesan cheese and pancetta. Pancetta is a cured meat, imported from Italy. It’s available at most grocery stores, but can be pricey, so I substitute it with Bacon. Yields a similar result, you can use either.

I make this with Fettuccine, Angel Hair, or Penne Pasta.

These are the preferred pasta types from my crew, I buy pasta in bulk, then use whatever I have on hand. 

How do you reheat Carbonara?

I prefer to reheat pasta in the oven, but you can use the microwave as well.

To reheat in the oven, place the leftovers in a small baking pan and cover with aluminum foil. Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Place the foil covered pan in the preheated oven and cook for about 10 to 15 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle the top with shredded parmesan cheese before serving.

To reheat in the microwave, place the leftovers on a microwave safe dish and heat for about for 2-3 minutes until heated through. Sprinkle the top with shredded parmesan cheese before serving.

How to Refrigerate Carbonara:

Use an airtight container to store all leftovers in the refrigerator. Properly stored leftovers should last in the refrigerator for up 4 days. 

How to Freeze Carbonara:

Use an airtight container to store all leftovers in the freezer. Properly stored leftovers should last in the freezer for up to 3 months. Also, you can do a double batch of Chicken Carbonara, and freeze the second dish for later. Simply allow to cool in the refrigerator then label the dish and store in the freezer. To thaw, I prefer to move to the refrigerator the day before I want to eat so it thaws in the refrigerator.

Recipe tips and notes:

• Adding olive oil to the water when boiling the pasta will help prevent it from sticking together after drained.
• You can substitute Pancetta, Bacon, or ham in the recipe – they are pretty interchangeable in this dish.
• You can substitute Half and Half for the Heavy Cream to make it lighter.
• You can substitute Low Fat Cream Cheese to make it lighter.
• Grilled Chicken is our preferred protein in this dish, but shredded or diced chicken will also work well.
• You can also substitute the Turkey or Shrimp for the chicken in this dish.

                                     Picture from my first attempt making Chicken Carbonara!

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Yield: 6

Chicken Carbonara

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Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 lb pasta (Penne, Linguine, or Angel Hair)
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Sweet Onion, diced
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup bacon, diced
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 grilled chicken breasts, diced or shredded
• 2 c heavy cream
• 1/2 pkg of cream cheese
• 1 1/2 c freshly grated Parmesan cheese - NOT from the can
• 4 egg yolks
• 1 tsp Oregano
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp parsley
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper

Instructions

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Adding some EVOO and salt to the water while boiling, for flavor.

I use leftover Grilled Chicken Breasts, and dice three breasts.

I also use leftover bacon, and chop half a cup into small pieces.

Put your cream cheese and heavy cream in a saucepan on low.

Using a whisk, stir it until the cream cheese is melted and they are mixed together well.

In a large frying pan, I add a dab of olive oil, the diced onion, diced red pepper and saute until onion is clear.

Add in the minced onion, diced chicken, and bacon bits.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the 4 egg yolks, heavy cream, freshly grated parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, parsley, and crushed red pepper flakes until combined.

Reduce heat to medium low and add your boiled pasta.

Toss to combine.

Pour the cream mixture on top.

Toss again to combine and ONLY cook for about 4-5 minutes. DO NOT COOK TOO LONG, the eggs will turn into scrambled eggs!

Taste test a bite, and add any additional salt/pepper as desired.

I garnish with any remaining parsley, and place the freshly grated parmesan cheese on the table so everyone can add more, if they like.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 823Total Fat: 54gSaturated Fat: 27gTrans Fat: 1gUnsaturated Fat: 23gCholesterol: 355mgSodium: 971mgCarbohydrates: 35gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 50g

Did you make this recipe?

Please leave a comment below & if you recreate this recipe, be sure to share a photo on Instagram. Tag me @when.is.dinner and hashtag #whenisdinner!