Olive Garden Chicken Carbonara Copycat Recipe

This Olive Garden chicken carbonara recipe brings that creamy, smoky pasta from the restaurant menu right into your kitchen on a weeknight. It’s the dish with bucatini, grilled chicken, crispy pancetta, and a rich egg-cream sauce that somehow manages to feel both indulgent and straightforward to pull off.

The whole thing comes together in about 40 minutes, and you’re working with ingredients most grocery stores carry year-round.

Why I Love This Recipe

The sauce coats every strand of pasta in a way that feels genuinely rich without being heavy. The egg yolks give it that glossy, clinging texture that a flour-thickened sauce never quite achieves.

What keeps me coming back to this version is the balance. You get the salt from the pancetta, a little heat from the red pepper flakes, and enough cream to mellow everything out.

Recipe Ingredients

• 1 lb bucatini – Olive Garden uses bucatini; spaghetti works if that’s what you have
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb total) – Pounded to even thickness so they cook at the same rate
• 4 oz pancetta, diced – The primary salt and fat source; bacon is a fine swap
• 3 large egg yolks – These thicken the sauce without flour; use fresh, room-temperature eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream – Full-fat only here; anything lighter breaks the sauce
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan – Finely grated so it melts smoothly; pre-shredded tends to clump
• 3 cloves garlic, minced – Adds background warmth to the sauce
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes – For mild heat; leave it out if cooking for kids
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning – For the chicken’s crust
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil – For searing the chicken
• 1/4 cup reserved pasta water – The starch in this water helps the sauce bind; set it aside before draining
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped – For garnish

Variations / Substitutions

• Bacon instead of pancetta – Works well, just pat it dry first so the pasta does not get greasy.
• Spaghetti or linguine instead of bucatini – The sauce clings slightly less but the flavor is identical.
• Shrimp instead of chicken – Cook the shrimp 2 minutes per side over medium-high heat and add them at the end so they stay tender.
• Half-and-half instead of heavy cream – The sauce will be thinner and may look a little loose, though it still tastes good.
• Gluten-free pasta – Use any gluten-free bucatini or spaghetti; add 30 seconds to the cook time and watch it closely since it overcooks fast.
• Extra heat – Double the red pepper flakes or add a pinch of cayenne with the garlic.

If you enjoy restaurant-style pasta at home, Olive Garden Shrimp Scampi Copycat Recipe is worth trying next.

How To Make Chicken Carbonara

Step 1: Sear the Chicken

Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season both chicken breasts with the 1 tsp Italian seasoning, 1/2 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp black pepper on both sides. Lay them in the hot pan and cook for 5 to 6 minutes per side, until the internal temperature hits 165°F (74°C).

Once they’re out of the pan, let the chicken rest on a cutting board while you cook the pancetta. Don’t wipe out the skillet, because the browned bits at the bottom are flavor you want in the sauce.

Step 2: Render the Pancetta

Add the 4 oz diced pancetta to the same skillet over medium heat. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the edges are crisp and lightly browned.

Add the 3 cloves minced garlic and the 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes directly to the pancetta and its fat. Stir for about 60 seconds, just until the garlic is fragrant. Don’t let it go longer or it will turn bitter.

Step 3: Boil the Bucatini

Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the 1 lb bucatini according to the package directions, usually 8 to 9 minutes, until it’s al dente with a little bite left in the center. Before you drain it, scoop out 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water and set it aside. That step matters for getting the sauce to hold together.

Drain the pasta and leave it in the colander for no more than 30 seconds. You want it hot when it hits the sauce.

Step 4: Whisk the Sauce

While the pasta boils, whisk together the 3 large egg yolks, 1 cup heavy cream, and 1/2 cup grated Parmesan in a medium bowl until smooth. The mixture should look pale yellow and slightly thicker than plain cream.

Keep this bowl close to the stove. You’ll add it off the heat in the next step, and timing matters here.

Step 5: Toss the Pasta in the Sauce

Turn the heat under the skillet to low. Add the drained bucatini to the pancetta and garlic, then pour the egg and cream mixture over everything. Toss quickly and steadily for about 2 minutes, using tongs, until the sauce thickens and coats every strand. If the sauce looks too thick or begins to tighten up, splash in some of the reserved 1/4 cup pasta water a little at a time.

The key here is low heat. If the pan is too hot when the eggs go in, you’ll get scrambled eggs instead of a silky sauce. Take it off the burner entirely for 30 seconds if you’re unsure, then toss again.

Step 6: Slice and Plate the Chicken

Slice the rested chicken breasts crosswise into strips about half an inch thick. Twirl a generous portion of pasta into a wide bowl, lay the chicken slices across the top, and finish with a scatter of the 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley and an extra pinch of Parmesan.

Recipe Tips

• Use room-temperature eggs. Cold egg yolks straight from the fridge are more likely to seize when they hit the warm pasta. Set them out while the chicken cooks.
• Pound the chicken before cooking. Uneven breasts lead to dry edges and an undercooked center. A few taps with a rolling pin makes a real difference.
• Don’t salt the pancetta step. The pancetta and Parmesan together carry plenty of salt. Taste before you add any more.
• Work fast once the pasta is drained. The sauce comes together in the heat of the noodles, so a cold or waterlogged pasta will make it sluggish and flat.

Cook times by pan thickness and stove output:

How To Store

• Refrigerate – Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will thicken in the fridge.
• Reheating – Warm gently in a skillet over low heat with a splash of water or cream, stirring until the sauce loosens and coats the pasta again, about 3 to 4 minutes. Avoid the microwave if you can; it tends to dry out the chicken and can make the sauce grainy.

What To Serve With Chicken Carbonara

A crisp green salad with a sharp vinaigrette cuts through the richness of the cream sauce in a way that a heavier side would not. Olive Garden’s house salad with pepperoncini and a tangy Italian dressing is the obvious pairing here.

Warm crusty bread or garlic bread is worth making too, because the sauce pools slightly at the bottom of the bowl and you’ll want something to drag through it. A simple side of roasted broccolini also works well since the slight bitterness of the broccolini balances the fatty, salty sauce.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the egg and cream mixture ahead of time?

Yes, you can whisk it up to 24 hours in advance and keep it covered in the fridge. Just bring it back to room temperature before you use it, or it will drop the pan temperature too fast.

Why did my sauce turn out grainy?

The heat was likely too high when the eggs hit the pan. Graininess means the proteins in the yolks cooked too fast and separated from the cream. Keep the pan on low and toss constantly.

Can I freeze this dish?

It is not ideal. Cream-based egg sauces tend to split when frozen and thawed, leaving the sauce watery and separated.

Do I need bucatini specifically, or will any long pasta work?

Any long pasta works. Bucatini is hollow so it traps sauce inside, which is why Olive Garden uses it, but spaghetti or linguine will give you the same flavor.

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Olive Garden Chicken Carbonara Recipe

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 40 minutes mins

Servings: 1 /4 cup of the pasta water before draining.

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 lb bucatini
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 lb total)
• 4 oz pancetta, diced
• 3 large egg yolks
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more for pasta water
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
• 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

 

1. Season the chicken breasts with the Italian seasoning, salt, and black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and sear the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes per side until it reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest on a cutting board.
2. In the same skillet over medium heat, cook the 4 oz diced pancetta for 4 to 5 minutes until the fat renders and the edges crisp. Add the 3 cloves minced garlic and 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes and stir for 60 seconds.
3. Boil the 1 lb bucatini in salted water for 8 to 9 minutes until al dente. Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water before draining.
4. Whisk the 3 egg yolks, 1 cup heavy cream, and 1/2 cup Parmesan together in a bowl until smooth.
5. Reduce the skillet to low heat. Add the drained bucatini to the pan, pour the egg and cream mixture over it, and toss with tongs for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
6. Slice the chicken into strips and lay over the plated pasta. Scatter the 2 tbsp chopped parsley and a pinch of extra Parmesan on top.

Notes

This sauce is best finished right before you eat it; it tightens up considerably as it sits, even for 10 minutes. If you’re cooking for a crowd, keep the pasta and sauce in the pan over the lowest possible heat and toss it again just before serving. The egg yolks are what make this sauce coat the pasta the way it does, so don’t be tempted to swap in whole eggs — you’ll get a looser, less glossy result.