Chicken Carbonara
READ THIS FIRST: This dish really isn't diet friendly, but it's still a favorite in our house because it's so delicous and easy. I usually serve with steamed broccoli lightly seasoned with garlic salt, it complements the dish really well. You can easily do one step at a time to focus a little more, as bacon grease can get a little unruly if not properly watched. My Blackened season doesn't have salt (which appears to be the standard), so I use salted butter, but whatever seasoning you use, keep this in mind or things could get salty!
Ingredients
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- 3-4 strips thick-cut bacon, diced
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- 1 lb chicken breast, trimmed
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- 8 oz. spaghetti noodles, dry
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- 3-4 cloves minced garlic
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- 3 large eggs
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- 2 cups parmesan romano shredded cheese
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- salt & pepper to taste
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- Blackened Seasoning
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- 2 tbsp salted butter
Directions
- Set pot of water to boil water for your pasta. Add spaghetti noodles when water boils, reducing heat to medium low. Cook to desired tenderness. Usually about 10-15 minutes based on preference.
- Heat skillet (ideally cast iron) over medium-high heat, add bason when heated.
- Reduce heat to medium, cook bacon until crispy.
- While your bacon cooks, combine parmesan cheese, eggs, salt (I usually use about 1/2-3/4 tsp) and pepper (I usually use about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp), using a fork to mix thoroughly. Set aside.
- Remove bacon from pan onto towels to soak up grease, remove pan from heat and pour bacon grease into separate bowl for later use.
- Place pan back on heat, set heat to medium/medium-low, add 1 tbsp bacon grease. Immediately add minced garlic, cook for about 30 seconds and remove from heat.
- Add bacon bits, 1-2 tsps bacon grease, and cooked garlic to your egg & cheese mixture, mixing thoroughly with your fork.
- Cut your chicken breasts in half lengthenwise, to reduce thickness by about half.
- Melt butter in microwave about 30 seconds.
- Using a basting brush, brush melted butter over chicken breasts and then dust with blackened seasoning.
- Return bacon pan to medium heat, add your chicken butter seasoned side down. Baste the unseasoned chicken side with remaining butter, dust with blackened seasoning. Cook thoroughly, about 4-5 minutes each side.
- From you spaghetti pot, remove about 2 cups of pasta water and set aside. Drain pasta.
- Add about 1/2 cup of pasta water to egg & cheese mixture, mixing thoroughly. Add sauce to cooked spaghetti, tossing thoroughly-is the sauce needs to loosen up a bit, add more of the reserved pasta water-I would recommend adding no more than a quarter cup or even a few tablespoons at a time.
- Serve with cooked chicken, sliced and placed atop the pasta.