Chicken Carbonara

The first time I had Chicken Carbonara was at Sonoma Chicken Coop in San Jose, CA. That one is served over rice but that dish is honestly one of my favorites in the entire bay area. I looked online for a recipe and to little surprise, Ms. Giada De Laurentiis has one online.

Courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 4 ounces thinly sliced pancetta, chopped
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
• 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
• 8 large egg yolks
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
• Salt
• 1 pound spaghetti
• 4 cups coarsely shredded chicken (from 1 roasted chicken)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted
• 1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel

Directions

Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat. Add the pancetta and garlic and saute until it is brown and crisp, about 8 minutes. Cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley to blend.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the spaghetti and cook until it is just tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Drain.

Add the chicken to the pan with the pancetta and stir to combine. Next, add the spaghetti and the cream mixture and toss over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly, about 4 minutes (do not boil or you might end up scrambling the eggs). Season the pasta, to taste, with pepper and salt if needed (the pancetta will likely add all the salt you need). Transfer the pasta to a large wide serving bowl. Sprinkle the walnuts and lemon zest over, and serve..

Review

Seeing how simple the recipe is, I was not expecting too much. Despite that, all the flavors worked so well together. The subtle lemon zest, the freshness of the basil and italian parsley, the crunch of the walnuts, the savory flavors of the panchetta and the garlic, they all complemented each other very well and I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it doesn't compare exactly to the chicken carbonara I am used to from Sonoma Chicken Coop, this is still a delicious home cooking alternative and definitely up there with my favorite pasta recipes. I might consider adding some other ingredients like green beans or maybe incorporate another cheese. All in all, another great Giada recipe