This chicken carbonara pasta bake is the perfect Sunday dinner choice for the whole family. Serve with a side of roasted vegetables, a salad, and some crusty bread to soak up extra sauce.
Prep Time:
5 mins
Cook Time:
35 mins
Total Time:
40 mins
Servings:
6
Chicken Carbonara Pasta Bake Ingredients
To make this chicken carbonara pasta bake, you’ll need just seven simple ingredients:
- Pancetta: This chicken carbonara pasta bake recipe starts with pancetta.
- Spaghetti: You’ll need one 16-ounce package of spaghetti to make six servings.
- Egg yolks: The traditional rich carbonara sauce is made with four egg yolks.
- Parmesan: You’ll need two cups of Parmesan cheese.
- Heavy cream: Make sure the heavy cream is room temperature.
- Chicken: This recipe is a great use for leftover cooked chicken breast.
- Parsley: Fresh Italian parsley is optional, but it adds a nice pop of color and flavor.
How to Cook Chicken for This Carbonara Pasta Bake
To cook a chicken breast:
- Heat a skillet over medium heat.
- Add one tablespoon of oil and the chicken breast.
- Cook for about 16 minutes, flipping halfway, until an instant read thermometer registers 170 degrees F.
How to Make Chicken Carbonara Pasta Bake
You’ll find the full, step-by-step recipe below — but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect when you make this chicken carbonara pasta bake:
- Cook the pancetta until lightly browned and crisp, then set aside.
- Boil spaghetti, reserve two cups of pasta water, and set aside.
- Whisk the eggs in a bowl, then whisk in 1 ½ cups of the hot pasta water.
- Whisk in the cheese and cream.
- Add the pasta, pancetta, and chicken to the sauce and toss.
- Transfer the mixture to a prepared baking dish and bake until the sauce is thickened.
- Stir and let stand so the sauce can continue to thicken. Add more pasta water if you like.
- Garnish with parsley and Parmesan cheese.
Test Kitchen Tips
This recipe was developed in our test kitchen. Check out some tips and tricks from culinary experts that might make the cooking process easier:
- Reserve extra pasta water to moisten leftovers – just reheat it in the microwave at 60 to 70 percent power for 1 to 2 minutes (or until heated through).
- Didn’t reserve enough pasta water? Don’t sweat it! Just use hot water.
- Since the pancetta and Parmesan are both salty, boil the pasta in lightly (not heavily) salted water.
Ingredients
10 ounces diced pancetta
- 16 ounces spaghetti
- 4 large egg yolks
- 2 cups grated parmesan cheese
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups cooked chicken breast
- 1 tablespoon italian parsley
Directions
Process 1
Gather all ingredients. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Coat a 9×13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
Process 2
Cook pancetta in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
Process 3
Boil spaghetti in lightly salted water for 5 minutes. Drain pasta and reserve 2 cups pasta water.
Process 4
Meanwhile, add egg yolks to a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth.
Process 5
Gradually pour 1 1/2 cups hot pasta water over egg yolks, whisking vigorously, making sure to whisk constantly so eggs do not scramble.
Process 6
Whisk in Parmesan cheese, then heavy cream.
Process 7
Add cooked pasta, pancetta, and chicken to the sauce, toss to combine. Transfer pasta mixture to prepared dish.
Process 8
Bake until hot and sauce has thickened, 20 minutes, stirring halfway through.
Process 9
Remove from heat, stir and let stand for 2 to 3 minutes allowing sauce to continue to thicken. Additional pasta water can be added, as desired, for a saucier pasta.
Process 10
Garnish with parsley and extra Parmesan cheese.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 767 | Calories |
| 55g | Fat |
| 29g | Carbs |
| 38g | Protein |
