Chicken Carbonara

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to package directions. Before draining, reserve a cup of the pasta water.

Put the bacon in a large skillet and cook on medium heat for about 10 minutes or until it is crispy and browned to your liking. Transfer it to a plate lined with a paper towel and set aside.

Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon salt and add to same skillet with the drippings. Increase the heat to medium-high and cook the chicken for a few minutes, until it turns opaque. Add the diced shallot and continue cooking for another couple of minutes. Add the minced garlic and continue cooking for an additional minute. Continue cooking until the chicken is cooked through (165 F) and then remove from the heat.

Move the chicken and shallots to a plate and discard all but 2 tablespoons of the remaining oil.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and the black pepper until well combined. Slowly whisk in about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to raise the temperature of the eggs slowly.

When the pasta has cooked, drain and add it to the skillet. On medium-low heat, toss the pasta with 1/4 cup more of the reserved water and then slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan, tossing constantly. Stir in additional pasta water as needed until the sauce has thickened. Crumble the bacon, slice the chicken and add to the pasta. Stir in the chopped parsley and season with additional salt, if needed. Top with additional grated cheese, if desired.