I’ll be honest, I was on the fence about whether or not I would include this recipe on my blog. Have you ever had a recipe that you are so fond of that you want to keep it all to yourself? Maybe that’s just me! Ha! I think that if I had a signature recipe, this would it. Friends and family have asked me to make it when they visit and I even made it once at Christmas for a small(er) gathering of family and let me just say that turkey was NOT missed! This Faux Chicken Carbonara is creamy, cheesy, and absolutely divine.
Okay, let’s get down to facts. This is NOT A true carbonara recipe. It is actually an Alfredo recipe, which is why I’ve decided to title it “Faux” Chicken Carbonara. Traditional carbonara gets it’s creaminess from combining raw egg and cheese, there is no “sauce”. I decided to stick with calling it a carbonara because the dish that inspired this recipe was the chicken carbonara at Buca di Beppo. I would say that this tastes just like that dish, but it doesn’t. Because it’s better. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t get the pasta as creamy as I wanted it to be the traditional way, so I decided to substitute with a homemade Alfredo. Despite the fact that this recipe isn’t “traditional” carbonara, I promise you it will become one of your favorite dishes.
I don’t make this recipe often for my family for two reasons: One- because it’s definitely not a light recipe. I’m not going to look up the nutrition facts on this baby because it’s not supposed to be healthy. It’s supposed to be decadent and a treat to be enjoyed on occasion. And Two- quality prosciutto isn’t cheap! You certainly don’t want to skimp on the quality of two of these ingredients- the prosciutto and the parmesan cheese. Use freshly shredded (or grated) parmesan. Please don’t use those plastic bottles of Parmesan that don’t require refrigeration, not for this. Splurge.
Faux Chicken Carbonara Cooking Tips…
Save time by cooking your chicken breasts ahead of time. I do the simplest chicken for this recipe- boneless, skinless breasts seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled. For this recipe, you will be making a homemade alfredo sauce. You can substitute with a store-bought one as mentioned above, but I’d recommend against it. It really isn’t hard or time consuming to do yourself, it literally sits on the stove while you prep your other ingredients. And I don’t know about you, but I have had some AWFUL store-bought alfredo sauces.
When you first mix the pasta together with the sauce and all of the other ingredients, it will look a little runny. I PROMISE you that it will thicken up, so don’t do anything to thicken it. Unless, you want to add a little more parmesan, cause when did more cheese ever hurt anything?! Also, adding a little of the pasta water to the sauce is a good idea. The starchy water will help the sauce stick to the pasta.
If you somehow manage to have leftovers, add a little heavy cream to the pasta- only a tablespoon or two- before reheating (I usually just reheat in the microwave). But please know, that like almost all pastas, it is the most delicious when eaten right away.
Enjoy!!
Have you tried this recipe? Please leave me your thoughts in the comments below.
| Prep Time | 10 Minutes |
| Cook Time | 25 Minutes |
| Servings |
Servings
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- 32 Oz Heavy Cream
- 4 TBSP Unsalted Butter
- 2 1/2 Cups Freshly Shaved Parmesan Cheese
- 1 Tsp Salt
- 2 Tsp Black Pepper
- 1 LB Spaghetti
- 1/4 Cup EVOO
- 8 Oz Prosciutto, sliced
- 1 1/2 LBS Cooked Chicken Boneless, Skinless Breasts, sliced
- 1/3 Cup Garlic, minced
- 1 Cup Frozen Peas
- Extra Salt, Pepper and Parmesan, for re-seasoning and serving
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
For the Rest:
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- Start the sauce first. Pour the heavy cream in a sauce pot over medium heat. Reduce by one-third. Do NOT boil.
- Once reduced, add the butter. Stir constantly until the butter has melted. Add parmesan, salt and pepper and stir to incorporate everything. Lower the heat to low and allow to sit while you prep everything else. Stir occasionally. Should thicken once all of the cheese has melted.
- Cook spaghetti to package instructions.
- After the alfredo has had an opportunity to sit and thicken for about 15 minutes, start the main part of the dish. In a large, high-sided pan, add the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add prosciutto and cook until it's crisp, about 3 minutes.
- Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Lower the heat to medium-low. Add sliced chicken, alfredo sauce (start with about 2/3 of what is in the pot), and peas. Re-season with salt and pepper. Watch the salt, maybe only about 1 tsp. I like a lot of black pepper in this, but whatever your preference.
- Add a little extra parmesan and the rest of the alfredo (if needed). Let the sauce cook and meld together for about ten minutes, or while spaghetti is finishing being cooked. Pull spaghetti out of its water and place directly into alfredo-chicken sauce. Add a little pasta water (about 1/4 cup) to the sauce.
- Sauce may seem a bit runny. It WILL thicken the longer it sits. Divide pasta between bowls and top with a little extra shaved parmesan.
Welcome to Cupcakes and Sarcasm! My name is Maggie and I am the creator of C & S. I am a wife and mom of two beautiful kiddos. I grew up in Columbus, Ohio and now live in Northeast Ohio with my family. I have been cooking and baking since I was a kid. I decided in 2017 that I wanted to share my passion (and recipes) with all of you! On this site, you’ll find easy and delicious recipes- both savory and sweet. I’ll also sprinkle in some stories of parenting and our adventures along the way.