Rooster Carbonara - The Keep At Residence Chef

It’s simply too darn simple to like Rooster Carbonara with that velvety sauce, crispy bacon, and pecorino romano cheese. Critically, 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 if you do exactly 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 an important day to order this at your favourite Italian restaurant when you notice how simple it’s to make. Take pleasure in 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 wonderful, thick-cut bacon and a velvety egg and cheese sauce. For those who 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-Reduce Bacon: You possibly can 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 could be dearer, so we default to bacon as the higher choice for many of our viewers.
Rooster Breasts: Boneless, skinless rooster breasts are nice for this recipe. Cube into bite-sized items.
Eggs: You’ll need giant grade AA eggs for this recipe. You’ll use a mix 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 possibly can 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 shade. It’s elective, however makes it look a little bit extra fancy.

Rooster Choices

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

Time & Cash Saver

You possibly can 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 usually bought as one thing known as a “loss chief” for grocery shops the place they promote the rooster at or beneath value to get you into the shop and hopefully purchase different issues. Which means rotisserie rooster is usually the perfect value per pound for rooster you will get. Save a little bit time, save a little bit cash.

Pasta Choices

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