This chicken carbonara has the classic all-yolk sauce, which yields a rich and creamy texture. For some carbonara recipes the residual heat and starch from the pasta are enough to thicken the yolks, but we prefer the double-boiler method to gently cook the egg yolks to a custard-like texture without the risk of overcooking them to a scramble.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces whole-wheat spaghetti
- 2 ounces diced pancetta
- 8 ounces shredded cooked chicken breast
- 4 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper, plus more for garnish
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, place pancetta in a large, cold nonstick skillet. Cook over medium heat, stirring often, until most of the fat is rendered and the pancetta is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add chicken; cook, stirring constantly, until warmed through, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- Whisk egg yolks, 1/4 cup cheese, pepper and salt together in a large heatproof metal bowl. Using tongs, transfer the cooked pasta directly from the boiling cooking water to the bowl with the egg yolk mixture; toss gently until the cheese melts, about 30 seconds.
- Place the bowl with the pasta over the pot with the boiling cooking water; cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta, about 1 minute. Remove the bowl from the pot; stir in the pancetta mixture.
- Divide the pasta among 4 bowls; top with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese. Garnish with additional pepper, if desired.