Creamy Chicken Carbonara Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is chicken carbonara sauce made of? ›

Usually, a traditional carbonara sauce is made with reserved pasta water, eggs and parmesan cheese, all mixed through cooked/warm pasta to create a creamy sauce.

Carbonara vs Alfredo

The difference between alfredo and carbonara is that carbonara contains an egg while alfredo sauce does not. Carbonara is usually thinner in consistency than alfredo sauce, using the egg to coat the noodles instead of relying on the cream.

The golden rule to silky carbonara is to whisk your egg whites so that they're completely incorporated with the egg yolks. This will create a smooth, velvety sauce. As like any pasta dish, including carbonara, cook the pasta perfectly al dente so that it's soft but still firm, with some bite.

What not to put in Spaghetti Carbonara? Don't put garlic, cream, milk or butter. It is not needed. It is fine if you want to make a dish with those ingredients, but if you want to learn how to make this dish correctly, use only pecorino, eggs/egg yolks, black pepper, guanciale, and pasta water.

Carbonara traditionally uses both whole eggs and egg yolks. The whole eggs provide richness and structure to the sauce, while the egg yolks add creaminess and flavor. To make an authentic carbonara, start by cooking guanciale or pancetta (Italian cured meats) until crispy, then add cooked pasta to the pan.

Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano – I like to use a combination of Pecorino Romano and Parmigiano Reggiano. While these two cheeses ARE similar, I strongly recommend you use BOTH (and not sub one for the other), as it adds a layer of complexity to the flavors.

Whisk Like You Mean It

You're using more egg yolks than whites here, which is what makes carbonara so rich and luxurious. But there's still two eggs-worth of whites in there. Whisking your eggs so that the whites are completely incorporated into the yolks will give your sauce a more uniform texture.

All the cooking of the eggs should be done in the residual heat from the pasta. Geek alert: Yolks will thicken at 65C and will start to scramble at about 70C, so the heat from the just-boiled water will be more than enough to thicken the yolks into a sauce that's velvety and clings to the pasta.

And indeed, there's plenty of recipes that cheat by adding in cream. But today, we're making spaghetti carbonara properly, the authentic, traditional way. No cream. Just egg, cheese and a splash of starchy pasta cooking water.

Some people may prefer lighter dishes, and find the richness of carbonara overwhelming. Texture: The texture of carbonara can be a bit different from other pasta dishes, as the egg yolk mixture creates a thick, velvety sauce that coats the noodles. Some people may find the texture too heavy or slimy.

Why shouldn't you put cream in carbonara? ›

Those who use cream in their carbonara, and those who don't (and feel very strongly about it). In fact, there's a valid reason why 'no cream carbonara' advocates are so passionate about their stance… because traditional Italian carbonara doesn't actually consist of any cream. Yep, that's right, no cream, whatsoever.

The ingredients are simple—just spaghetti (or another long pasta), and the carbonara is made with pancetta or bacon, eggs, Parmesan, a little olive oil, salt and pepper. The silky carbonara sauce is created when the beaten eggs are tossed with the hot pasta and a little fat from the pancetta or bacon.

Carbonara is made with guanciale (cured pork), eggs, Pecorino Romano cheese, spaghetti pasta, and lots of black pepper. Italians don't add extra ingredients like cream, milk, garlic, or onions. Try this recipe if you want to make an authentic, creamy carbonara that comes straight from Italy, where I live.

Mostly it's salty, rich, peppery, and a bit smokey. It's such a simple recipe that you should taste the individual components; egg yolk, cured pork fat, salt, pepper, Parmigiano cheese.

Should you put cream in carbonara? Most authentic carbonara recipes do not include additional pasta sauce ingredients like cream, butter, garlic, milk, and so forth. However, this rendition deviates from the original by omitting the egg whites and relying on a splash of heavy cream to further thicken the sauce.