Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara
Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara brings together smoky bacon, tender chicken, and sweet peas tossed in a rich, silky Parmesan-egg sauce that clings to every strand of spaghetti. The balance of salty cheese, peppery bite, and a hint of wine makes it comforting yet lively. It’s a great choice for a cozy weeknight dinner or a casual get-together with friends.
- Prep20 mins
- Cook45 mins
- Serves4
- DifficultyMedium
easyChef Pro health score
Calculated from USDA-referenced nutrient data for the ingredients in Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara, not estimated by an AI model. The same recipe returns the same score every time.
- Glycemic ImpactFair
- 51 / 100
- Carb quality, not quantity. Higher is better.
- Nutritional DensityPoor
- 28 / 100
- Nutrients per calorie. Higher is better.
- Energy DensityGood
- 92 / 100
- Calories by weight. Higher means more food for fewer calories.
- NOVA Processed Culinary Ingredients
- 2 / 4
- Processing level, 1 (whole) to 4 (ultra-processed). Lower is better.
How it scores for each health goal
The same recipe scores differently against different goals, because the goal changes the calculation rather than filtering a list. Set your goal in easyChef Pro and every recipe is scored against it.
- 30
- Heart Health
- 45
- Metabolic
- 56
- Digestive
- 27
- Inflammatory
- 59
- Performance
- 54
- General Wellness
- 1
Cook the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp, about 10 minutes.
- 2
Remove the bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon and drain on a paper towel-lined plate.
- 3
Drain the fat from the skillet, reserving 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings.
- 4
Season the chicken with salt and pepper.
- 5
Heat 1 tablespoon of bacon drippings in the skillet over medium heat.
- 6
Cook the chicken breast halves in the bacon drippings until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes per side.
- 7
An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
- 8
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and tent with foil.
- 9
Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing; set aside.
- 10
Heat the remaining tablespoon of bacon drippings in the skillet over medium heat until shimmering.
- 11
Cook and stir the garlic and ground black pepper in the skillet until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- 12
Pour the wine into the skillet; simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- 13
Remove from the heat.
- 14
Whisk the Parmesan cheese and eggs together in a bowl.
- 15
Slowly pour the wine mixture into the Parmesan mixture while whisking continuously.
- 16
Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil.
- 17
Cook the spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until cooked through but still slightly firm, about 12 minutes.
- 18
Remove 1/2 cup of the water from the pot for later use.
- 19
Place the peas in a large colander.
- 20
Drain the pasta in the colander over the peas.
- 21
Return the drained pasta and peas to the pot.
- 22
Stir the bacon, chicken, and wine mixture into the spaghetti.
- 23
Thin the sauce with the reserved pasta water as desired.
- Calories 1267.42 kcal High 63%
- Protein 90.5 g Good Source 181%
- Carbohydrate 144.14 g 52%
- Total Fat 36.56 g High 47%
- Saturated Fat 15.58 g High 78%
- Trans Fat 0.0 g Low Source 0%
- Cholesterol 376.23 mg High 125%
- Sodium 2036.8 mg High 89%
- Dietary Fiber 30.27 g Good Source 108%
- Total Sugars 42.4 g --
- Added Sugars 39.71 g High 79%
- Calcium 504.33 mg Good Source 39%
- Iron 8.54 mg Good Source 47%
- Potassium 1009.41 mg Good Source 21%
- Vitamin A 50.34 mcg Low Source 6%
- Vitamin C 20.98 mg Good Source 23%
- Vitamin D 0.75 mcg Low Source 4%
Values are per serving. Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
- Eggs 🥚
- Milk 🥛
- Wheat 🌾
- Gluten
- Sulfites
- Garlic 🧄
- Alcohol 🚫🍷
About This Recipe
Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara is an Italian dinner recipe made with 12 ingredients. It takes about 1 hr 5 mins, serves 4, and is rated medium. Key ingredients include Bacon Fat, Black Pepper, Eggs, and Grated Parmesan Cheese. Each serving provides about 1267.42 kcal, and is a good source of protein.
Recipe Questions
- What is Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara?
- It is an Italian recipe made with 12 ingredients, usually served for dinner or lunch.
- What is Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara made of?
- The main ingredients are Bacon Fat, Black Pepper, Eggs, Grated Parmesan Cheese, Green Peas. The full list of 12 is above.
- What goes well with Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara?
- Explore these Italian side-dish recipes.
- How long does it take to make Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara?
- About 1 hr 5 mins in total: 20 mins to prepare and 45 mins to cook.
- How many calories are in one serving?
- One serving provides about 1267.42 kcal. The full nutrition breakdown is above.
- Is Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara easy to make?
- This recipe is rated medium, with 12 ingredients and 23 steps.
- Is Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara healthy?
- Hearty Chicken and Bacon Carbonara has an easyChef Pro health score of 53/100. Per serving, it provides 1267.42 calories and 90.5 g of protein, or 181% of the Daily Value. It is a good source of dietary fiber, calcium, iron, potassium and vitamin C. Worth noting per serving: sodium at 2036.8 mg (89% of the Daily Value), saturated fat at 15.58 g (78% of the Daily Value) and added sugars at 39.71 g (79% of the Daily Value). It contains Eggs, Milk, Wheat, Gluten, Sulfites, Garlic and Alcohol, so it may not be suitable for people with those allergies or dietary restrictions. Whether it fits your goals depends on your complete meal plan and nutritional needs. Remix it in easyChef Pro to adjust the ingredients and generate fresh nutrition and scores.
How easyChef Pro scores recipes and products
easyChef Pro analyzes up to 41 nutrients using data sourced from USDA and other verified food databases. Its scoring method uses the nutrients relevant to nutrition quality, calorie density, processing level, and your selected health goal. Recipes and food products get a health score from 0 to 100, calculated using consistent rules instead of being estimated by AI. The same nutrition data, serving size and health goal will produce the same result.
The calculation evaluates nutrients, calorie density, processing level, and how well the food supports your selected health goal. Protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals and other beneficial nutrients can strengthen the score. High amounts of sodium, saturated fat, added sugar and other nutrients may lower it.
Your health goal also matters. easyChef Pro evaluates recipes and products across six health areas and adjusts their importance for your selected goal. This means the same food may be a better fit for one health goal than another.
For recipes, changing an ingredient, quantity or serving size changes the nutrition and may change the score. Remix the recipe in easyChef Pro to calculate fresh nutrition and scores for the version you actually make. Product scores are based on the nutrition and serving information associated with that specific product.
Score a recipe free, no app required