Ingredients:

  • 400g (14 oz) Spaghetti or Bucatini
  • 1 tbsp Sea salt
  • 500g (2 large) Chicken breasts, thinly sliced into bite-sized strips
  • 150g (5 oz) Thick-cut bacon, diced into batons
  • 2 cloves Garlic, smashed
  • 1 tsp Freshly cracked black pepper
  • 3 large Egg yolks, room temperature
  • 1 large Egg, room temperature
  • 60g (2 oz) Pecorino Romano, finely grated
  • 40g (1.5 oz) Parmesan Reggiano, finely grated
  • 120ml (1/2 cup) Reserved starchy pasta water

Instructions:

  1. Place the diced bacon in a cold skillet and bring to medium heat. Render the fat until the bacon is mahogany-colored and crisp. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the liquid fat in the pan.
  2. Increase skillet heat to medium-high. Season chicken strips with salt and sear in the bacon fat for 4-5 minutes until golden and cooked through. Add smashed garlic for the last 2 minutes, then remove the garlic and turn off the heat.
  3. In a heat-proof mixing bowl, whisk the 3 egg yolks, 1 whole egg, Pecorino Romano, and Parmesan Reggiano together until a thick, uniform paste forms.
  4. Boil the pasta in salted water until al dente. Cook for 1-2 minutes less than the package says. Wait for the al dente snap. Using tongs, transfer the hot pasta directly from the water into the skillet with the chicken. Add the crispy bacon back into the pan.
  5. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta. Toss vigorously while slowly adding small amounts of the reserved starchy pasta water until the sauce is velvety and glossy. The residual heat will melt the cheese and cook the eggs into a creamy, glossy sauce without scrambling them.