Today’s recipe of linguine with creamy chicken carbonara is my take on the authentic spaghetti ala carbonara. Chicken carbonara is an ultimate treat for all the pasta & chicken lovers with a no-fuss carbonara sauce!
If you are a pasta lover, then I am sure you are already in love with pasta carbonara or to be specific spaghetti ala carbonara! Carbonara is an authentic preparation of pasta and this classic dish is mostly made with spaghetti and bacon; but today I adapted it to our liking!
Giving my spin on it, I made creamy chicken carbonara with linguine. However, I have tried my best to remain as close as possible to the classic carbonara sauce, but do excuse me in case there is any deviation!
There is just no compromise with taste though; this chicken carbonara turned out to be as good as it could possibly get! Pasta with chicken carbonara is very different from any other pasta I have had till date; it’s little, very little, tricky to get the carbonara sauce right, but that’s all there is to it and totally worth the effort!
Winter is almost bidding adieu to us and we are on the verge of entering the spring. Winter is my favorite season without any doubt and I am fine with spring too! But summer is what depresses me at times as you know India is famous for its tropical heat.
I am sure you will agree that natural seasons have deep impact on our food habits and our body & mind have different demands for different seasons. Winter is the season of warm bowl of soups and stews whereas the summers are filled with smoky barbecues (the only reason of surviving throughout the summer) and green leafy salads.
Pastas are, however, all-rounder in that sense and we enjoy them throughout the year. It’s easy as well as quick to put together and carry loads of different flavors depending on your liking. Doesn’t it sound win-win?
Spaghetti ala carbonara is traditionally made with bacon where strips of bacons are fried until crispy and then broken into small pieces to mix with the spaghetti carbonara. But the real thing of a classic carbonara is the special carbonara sauce which involve cream and egg and loads of parmesan to make the most delicious sauce ever!
I have tried to stick to the classic carbonara sauce for my linguine with chicken carbonara and thankfully it ended up being one of the most loved pastas in our home! This pasta with chicken carbonara will be loved by everyone at any time of the year, trust me on this!
This is a no-fuss pasta recipe without any sacrifice on flavors and is great for weeknight meals. I used chicken for my chicken carbonara as it is our staple meat, but you can obviously use crisped-up bacons to take the authentic route.
The carbonara sauce is made in a very specific way where the egg is mixed with cream & cheese and then cooked in the warm pasta. You must cook it in a way that ensures that the egg is not turning scrambled egg but transforming into a rich, creamy & velvety sauce.
So, the best way to do that is to take the cooking pot off from heat, add the cooked pasta and then pour the carbonara sauce mixture on top stirring continuously. The remainder heat of the pot will cook the egg without converting it to scrambled egg.
It may sound little intimidating as you may fear about consuming raw egg; but if you follow the recipe exactly the way it is mentioned, you will never end up with raw egg. Also make sure to use a very fresh egg and you should be sorted! Try making this chicken carbonara soon and enjoy!
- Linguine pasta – 250 gms
- Chicken breast – 2
- Onion – 1, small, finely chopped
- Egg – 1
- Heavy cream – 4 tbsp
- Grated Parmesan cheese – ¼ cup
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Salt and pepper taste
- Chilli flakes to serve (optional)
- Cook the linguine pasta in a large saucepan of heavily salted boiling water according to the packet instructions. Reserve a cup of the cooking water and drain the pasta.
- Cook the chicken breasts in lightly salted water until thoroughly cooked which would take about 30 minutes. Once the chicken is fully cooked, drain them and shred them to bite sized pieces using two forks.
- Heat the olive oil in a stock pot with high sides. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onions to the pot. Sauté the onions until soft and translucent but not brown.
- Then add the shredded chicken and stir to mix well. Season with little salt and pepper. Sauté the chicken for 5 minutes until the edges are just lightly golden. Switch off the flame.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg, heavy cream and grated parmesan. Season with a little salt (since parmesan is already quite salty) and lots of black pepper.
- Remove the pot from the stove and add the drained pasta. Working very quickly, add in your cream sauce and mix until every strand of linguine is covered with that velvety sauce. Add couple of spoons of pasta water if the pasta seems to be too dry and difficult to mix up with the sauce.
- Serve immediately with some sprinkles of chilli flakes for some heat. This is totally optional and not authentic but we Indians do love the spicy kick!
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