Cajun Chicken Carbonara

8 ounces pasta (such as linguine or fettuccine or penne, etc.) (gluten-free for gluten-free)

4 ounces bacon cut into 1 inch pieces (or 4 ounces pancetta, diced)

1 pound boneless and skinless chicken breasts (or thighs)

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

1 clove garlic, chopped (optional)

2 eggs

1/2 cup (2 ounces) parmigiano reggiano (parmesan), grated

1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning

plenty of fresh cracked black pepper

Start cooking the pasta as directed on the package.

Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large pan until crispy and set aside.

Season the chicken with the Cajun seasoning, and cook in the bacon grease in the pan until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes per side, before setting aside and draining off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon grease.

Add the garlic and turn off the heat.

Mix the egg, cheese, Cajun seasoning, pepper, salt and parsley in a bowl.

Drain the cooked pasta reserving some of the water.

Mix the pasta, the egg mixture and bacon in the pan with the garlic, adding reserved pasta water as needed to form a nice sauce.

Serve topped with the Cajun chicken, optionally sliced.

Note: The eggs will cook in the residual heat in the pan and on the pasta.
Tip: Chicken cooks faster when it’s thin, about 1/2-1 inch thick; pound thicker chicken thin or cut it in half to make it thinner.
Option: Garnish with chopped parsley
Option: Replace the chicken with shrimp or use a combination of chicken and shrimp!
Option: Add extra meat and/or veggies such as sliced andouille sausage, bell peppers, collard greens, kale, Swiss chard, green beans, etc.
Note: Store bought Cajun seasoning often contains a lot of salt. I like to use homemade Cajun seasoning (click here) to control the amount of salt. If you are using store bought seasoning, you may want to use less.