Name: Chicken carbonara baked pasta
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 250 gram penne pasta; 2 tablespoon olive oil; 8 slices prosciutto (120g), sliced thinly; 2 cloves garlic, crushed; 3 cups (480g) shredded barbecue chicken; 4 eggs; 1 cup pouring cream; 1 cup (80g) coarsely grated parmesan cheese; 1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives; 1 1/2 cups (105g) coarse stale breadcrumbs

Pasta is an unbelievably versatile pantry staple; it’s quick, it’s simple, and with just a few fresh ingredients, it can be transformed in to a delicious, comforting midweek meal.

All the cheesy, bacon flavours of a classic carbonara can be found in this creamy pasta bake. We’ve made it easy for you with cream, eggs and cheese and added chicken and other ingredients for a flavour boost to create the ideal family meal. If you’re after an authentic made-from-scratch version without cream then why not try our classic spaghetti carbonara or one from our collection of carbonara recipes.

Looking for more pasta bake recipes?

How to cook pasta

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You’d be hard pressed to find a household in which pasta doesn’t feature at least once a week, so it’s handy to have a couple of tagliatelle tricks up your sleeve when it comes to cooking the perfect pot.

A great timesaving tip is to boil the kettle first and add the hot water to the cold pan. It should take no time at all to bring the water back to the boil; adding a sprinkling of salt to the water will raise the boiling point, too.

Stir the pasta once you have added it to the water, and occasionally while cooking, to stop it from sticking together.

Once the pasta is al dente – that is cooked but with a “bite” – drain it immediately.

You can make pasta ahead of time by cooking and storing in resealable bags or airtight containers in the fridge; to reheat, pour over boiling water.

Ingredients

250 gram penne pasta

2 tablespoon olive oil

8 slices prosciutto (120g), sliced thinly

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 cups (480g) shredded barbecue chicken

4 eggs

1 cup pouring cream

1 cup (80g) coarsely grated parmesan cheese

1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh chives

1 1/2 cups (105g) coarse stale breadcrumbs

Method

1.Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F.

2.Cook pasta in large saucepan of boiling water until tender; drain.

3.Meanwhile, heat oil in same pan; cook prosciutto, stirring, about 5 minutes or until crisp. Add garlic; cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add pasta to prosciutto mixture with chicken.

4.Whisk eggs, cream, cheese and chives in large jug; season, stir into pasta mixture.

5.Spoon mixture into 2-litre (8-cup) ovenproof dish; sprinkle with breadcrumbs. Bake, uncovered, about 25 minutes or until browned lightly.

Not suitable to freeze or microwave. You will need to purchase a large barbecued chicken weighing approximately 900g for this recipe.

Serve with mixed green salad.
Note

Women's Weekly Food

Trusted by home cooks for 90 years, The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Test Kitchen and cookbooks hold a singular place in shaping home cooking within the Australian culinary landscape. Today, the AWW Test Kitchen in Sydney is a thriving hub for food content, connected to two bustling photographic studios where a talented team of Australia’s best recipe developers, art directors, editors and photographers create our world class food content. Our recipes are thoroughly tested and tasted and given the Test Kitchen tick of approval, guaranteeing you’ll get great results in your home kitchen.

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