Heavenly Chicken Carbonara

This was the first time I ever made this and all I can say is yum!  Well worth the time... and the calories!


Ingredients
2 teaspoons olive oil
6 ounces bacon, chopped into small pieces
1 bulb garlic, minced
2 1/3 cups heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
6 egg yolks
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1 pound spaghetti noodles
2 cups cooked chicken breast, chopped into bite sized cubes
1-2 tablespoons finely grated lemon peel
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup thawed frozen peas
Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add bacon and saute until brown and crisp, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, the remove the pan from heat and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together the cream, cheese, yolks, basil, and parsley.  Next, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.  Add the spaghetti noodles and cook until slightly tender.  Drain and reserve.

Add the chicken to the pan with the bacon and stir, then add the spaghetti and cream mixture.  Cook, while stirring, over medium-low heat until the chicken is heated through and the sauce coats the spaghetti thickly.  Be careful not to boil - you don't want to scramble the eggs!

Season the pasta to taste with salt and pepper and transfer to serving plate(s).  Garnish with pine nuts and lemon zest and serve.

Tips:   Because I'm a hedonist, I chose to cook the chicken in the bacon fat.  If you want to live a long time, maybe don't do that.  But it tasted good.  Enjoy!