Hen Carbonara - The Keep At Residence Chef

It’s simply too darn simple to like Hen Carbonara with that velvety sauce, crispy bacon, and pecorino romano cheese. Severely, how might you not love this dish? And, including rooster to a traditional 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 rooster provides to the traditional pasta to make it extra filling.
The sauce is velvety clean, 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 a special day to order this at your favourite Italian restaurant when you notice how simple it’s to make. Get pleasure from this at your kitchen desk at any time when the craving hits! Add some rooster to a traditional carbonara and it’s an entire meal prepared in half-hour. You continue to have that superb, thick-cut bacon and a velvety egg and cheese sauce. In the event you don’t have pecorino romano, you’ll be able to at all times cheat and use parmesan—we gained’t inform if you happen to gained’t. We do it on a regular basis!

Ingredient Notes

Ingredients used to make chicken carbonara.

Thick-Minimize Bacon: You may at all times substitute pancetta for bacon which is the genuine ingredient. Pancetta isn’t at all times as simple to come back by and might be costlier, so we default to bacon as the higher possibility for many of our viewers.
Hen Breasts: Boneless, skinless rooster 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 complete eggs for the right silky clean sauce.
Spaghetti: Simply use from the field. Prepare dinner to al dente, tender however agency.
Pecorino Romano Cheese: You may simply substitute with parmesan cheese. Simply ensure 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 colour. It’s optionally available, however makes it look a bit of extra fancy.

Hen Choices

We favor to make use of boneless skinless rooster breasts, however you would at all times use rooster thighs if you happen to favor darkish meat or a fattier lower of rooster. These boneless skinless rooster thighs are at all times juicier than the breasts.

Time & Cash Saver

You may simply use leftover rooster or shredded rotisserie rooster 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 rooster is commonly bought as one thing known as a “loss chief” for grocery shops the place they promote the rooster at or beneath price to get you into the shop and hopefully purchase different issues. Because of this rotisserie rooster is commonly one of the best value per pound for rooster you will get. Save a bit of time, save a bit of cash.

Pasta Choices

Spaghetti is the normal selection for pasta in a carbonara, nonetheless, you don’t must really feel tied to that. You can 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 throughout the cooking course of emulsifies (binds) the elements collectively, making a clean sauce. No clumpy cheese right here. You may at all times use a bit of 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 filled 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 at the very least 1 1/2 cups. Then, you’ll be able to go forward and drain your pasta.