Miss Jane’s Chicken Carbonara Recipe

When it comes to the gastronomic canon, the Italians probably have theirs real good! Around the world, people from all walks of life have their own favourite Italian dish – from Pizza to Risotto, Lasagna to Panna Cotta, Ravioli, Prosciutto, the list goes on. However, amongst the most popular and perhaps one of the most beloved Italian dish of all time is Carbonara. A relatively easy recipe for dinner or lunch, Carbonara consists of a perfect blend of ethereal creaminess and a hint of saltiness is sure to make your taste buds dance and crave for more!

The story behind Carbonara takes us back to the early 19 hundreds. Although it has been a common topic to discuss among food historians, no one up till now can pinpoint its origin. Instead, they came up with the following 3 theories of how Carbonara came to life.

1. American soldiers occupying Italy who mixed “bacon and eggs” and pasta after the Allied liberation of Rome in 1940’s. After the war, many Italians were eating eggs and bacon supplied to them by troops from the U.S.A.
2. Coal miners –  Rumor has it that the first Carbonara dish was cooked as a hearty meal for Italian charcoal workers. This is back up by the fact that Carbonara is derived from the word Carbonaro, an Italian word for charcoal burner. Whether it’s true or not, it still happens to be one of the secrets of the past.
3. Ippolito Cavalcanti. A highly influential 19th-century Neapolitan book author, whose famous work called Cucina Teorico-Pratica included a recipe for pasta with cheese and eggs.

Moving on to modern times, our fondness for Carbonara hasn’t dwindled one bit. Not only is it extremely delicious but it does make family meals more enjoyable and filling.

Here is Miss Jane’s own version of the traditional carbonara (with a twist!) If you’re are looking for healthy family dinner recipes, this makes a good addition to your list. It’s so easy to prepare and cook and all you need are a handful of ingredients.

Without much ado, here are all the details for this easy dinner recipe!

PREP TIME: 30 Minutes

COOK TIME: 25 Minutes

Serves: 4-6 Serves

Ingredients

8 Small or 4 large chicken thighs

1 Large Mushroom

1 Medium Carrot

1 Medium red capsicum (sliced)

2 Dessertspoons of jarred caramelised onion

2 Cups grated cheese

1 Large tub of “Latina” Carbonara sauce (You can replace this one with your own favourite variant)

2 Cups of Fettuccine noodles (I use the curly ones)

Procedure

– Wash chicken thighs under cold water and trim off any fat. Cut up into bite-size pieces.

– Brown chicken in 2 tablespoons of Canola oil in large pan.

– Add grated carrots, mushrooms, caramelised onion, and sliced capsicum to chicken and soften by stirring over heat for a short time.

– Add Carbonara sauce and cheese.

– Stir until all ingredients are well mixed and set aside.

– Cook the fettuccine that has been broken into pieces of about 6cm or 2 inches long as per package instructions.

– Serve hot

Note: Tofu can be substituted for vegetarians. Be aware that the “Latina” Carbonara sauce has bacon in it, so a vegetarian sauce would have to take the place of the “Latina” sauce.

To give this one of the best easy recipes for dinner a twist and for a full Italian experience, serve it hot with garlic bread and your favourite white wine.

Carbonara has come a long way – from its early beginnings as a humble dish to satisfy the brave soldiers or the hardworking charcoal laborers to today’s most famous cookbooks and from the kitchens of the world’s best chefs,  there is no running out of reasons why Carbonara remains a favourite. It’s filling and delicious up to the last chomp and besides, it’s so easy to make! It may seem like a posh dish, but also a perfect addition to your long list of easy family recipes.

Do you have a recipe you want to share or would you like us to feature something else? Let us know in the comments section below.