So, compared to many of the other recipes here, this one is a little more complicated, but well worth the effort.
Chicken Carbonara
Recipe type: Main
Ingredients
- 2 tsp. Olive oil
- 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 2 ½ cups whipping cream
- 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
- 8 large egg yolks
- ¼ cup chopped fresh basil leaves
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
- Salt
- 1 lb. Spaghetti (I use cellentani pasta)
- 4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken)
- Freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup chopped walnuts, toasted (I usually leave these out)
- 1 Tbsp lemon zest (finely grated lemon peel)
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta ans garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is jut tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.
- Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine.
- Add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs).
- Season the pasta to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need).
- Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve.