ALMOST Classic 30-Minute Chicken Carbonara – what do I mean by almost? Well, traditional carbonara uses hard cheese, eggs, salt, pepper and bacon, but not turkey bacon. Almost all the traditional ingredients are there, but I don’t eat pork (or red meat!), so I made an ever so slight change to Ree Drummond’s original recipe to make it fit to our liking.
Even with that small change, this recipe is spot on – creamy sauce, pasta and chicken with some veg – it’s heavy on the protein, and taste factor! And I just love it!
I’ve been using cream a bit more in recipes recently and the girls seem to enjoy it more, as do I! I think it’s what helps to elevate this recipe just that much further. And you know me, a recipe that comes together in less than 30-minutes is absolutely my jam!
As always, let me know what you think of Ree’s recipe and my small changes below in the comments section! Happy cooking!
Almost Classic 30-Minute Chicken Carbonara
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp. black pepper, plus more to taste
- 4 slices turkey bacon, diced
- 1 lb. skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sliced crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick strips
- 1 tsp. kosher salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 12 oz. fettuccine or linguine
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- Chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Directions
- Whisk together the eggs, parmesan, heavy cream and ½ teaspoon pepper in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cook the turkey bacon in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently, until cooked through, 3-5 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set-aside.
- Increase the heat to medium-high. Add the chicken to the drippings in the skillet, season with the salt and remaining ½ teaspoon pepper and cook, tossing occasionally, until browned and cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes. In the last minute of cooking, stir in the garlic. Transfer the chicken to a plate; do not wipe out the skillet.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to the package directions, adding the peas during the last minute. Reserve 1 cup cooking water, then drain.
- Immediately add the hot pasta and peas to the skillet off the heat. Pour in the egg mixture and quickly toss with tongs, adding 2 to 3 tablespoons of the reserved cooking water, until the sauce is creamy. If the sauce is too thick, add more of the reserved cooking water. If it’s too thin, cook over low heat until thickened. Stir in the bacon and chicken. Garnish with parsley, pepper and parmesan. Enjoy!
