Loaded Carbonara

Ingredients
3-4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Salt and pepper
¹⁄₂ pound bacon, chopped
3 large eggs
1 ¹⁄₂ cups Parmesan cheese, grated
3 cloves garlic, minced
¹⁄₂ cup white wine
1 pound spaghetti
2 cups frozen peas

Instructions
1. Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Pat chicken dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Cook bacon in large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 8 minutes. Drain bacon in sieve set over bowl, reserve bacon fat. 

2. Cook chicken in 1 tablespoon fat in now-empty skillet until well browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil. Let rest 5 minutes, then thinly slice.

3. Whisk eggs and cheese in medium bowl. Heat 1 tablespoon bacon fat in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in wine and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes. Slowly whisk wine mixture into egg mixture.

4. Add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente. Reserve ¹⁄₂ cup cooking water. Place peas in colander, drain pasta, and transfer pasta and peas to pot. Stir in chicken, egg-wine mixture, and bacon, adding reserved water as needed.

Comments
This recipe is from Cook’s Country 2010.  I really love the carbonara I get in restaurants, it’s creamy and delicious.  I’m always trying to replicate this and, as of yet, I’ve never succeeded.  This is also not a success in terms of restaurant carbonara replication but, at least, it’s delicious.  The leftovers went fast and we all enjoyed the dish.  My cheese did clump up a bit but I think this is because I used shredded cheese instead of grated cheese.  I’ll try grating the cheese if I make this again in the future.

Cook’s Country 2010