Shrimp Carbonara is a fancy main dish that will wow your guests, but it’s also simple enough to make any time. For seafood lovers, this is a twist on the traditional Italian pasta dish. It only takes 30 minutes to make and only needs 6 basic ingredients.
This kind of pasta dish is both simple and unique. To make it, you need to use good ingredients and follow simple but exact cooking steps. If you cook carefully and buy the best ingredients you can find, you’ll always end up with a dish that tastes like it came from a restaurant.
Shrimp carbonara is one of those dishes that looks fancy and sophisticated, but is actually quite easy to make at home. With just a few simple ingredients, you can have a restaurant-quality meal on the table in under 30 minutes.
In this detailed guide, I’ll walk you through every step of making perfect shrimp carbonara, from choosing the right ingredients to cooking techniques and even how to tweak the recipe to suit your tastes Whether you’re new to cooking or an experienced home chef, you’ll learn pro tips for making this Italian favorite
An Overview of Shrimp Carbonara
Carbonara refers to an Italian pasta dish made with eggs, cheese, pork, and black pepper. The rich, creamy carbonara sauce coats spaghetti or other long pasta shapes. Traditional carbonara uses guanciale or pancetta for the pork, but bacon is commonly substituted.
Shrimp carbonara uses shrimp instead of pork. The briny shrimp pairs so nicely with the eggy sauce. Other ingredients typically include garlic, parsley, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream or half and half, and of course pasta.
It’s an elegant yet easy dinner recipe that comes together in about 30 minutes. The silky sauce is indulgent but not overly heavy or rich. Every bite bursts with flavor.
Once you learn how to make shrimp carbonara, you can substitute chicken, scallops, or vegetables for variety. You can also experiment with different pasta shapes like linguine, rigatoni, or fettuccine.
Tips for Making the Best Shrimp Carbonara
Follow these simple tips and tricks to ensure your homemade shrimp carbonara tastes fantastic:
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Use high quality ingredients – Splurge on the best Parmesan you can find and opt for thick-cut bacon. Use fresh shrimp if possible.
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Make sure your eggs are at room temperature – This helps them emulsify into the creamy sauce.
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Cook the pasta until al dente – Slightly undercooked pasta finishes cooking in the sauce. Overcooked pasta turns mushy.
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Don’t overcook the shrimp – They just need 2-3 minutes per side to turn pink and opaque
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Temper the eggs – Slowly drizzle hot pasta water into the egg mixture to raise its temperature before adding to the pasta. This prevents curdling
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Toss quickly – The sauce comes together very fast, so work swiftly to coat all the ingredients.
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Use tongs instead of a spoon – Tongs are gentler and help prevent breaking the delicate pasta.
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Work in bacon fat – Cook your bacon first, then sauté the garlic in the rendered bacon fat for maximum flavor.
With these tips in mind, let’s get cooking!
Ingredients You’ll Need
Pasta – Spaghetti, linguine, fettuccine, bucatini
Shrimp – Raw, peeled, deveined large shrimp
Bacon – Thick sliced smoked bacon
Eggs – 3 whole eggs and 1 egg yolk
Cheese – Grated Parmesan
Garlic – 2-3 cloves, minced
Herbs – Chopped Italian parsley
Heavy cream or half-and-half – For a luxurious, creamy sauce
Salt and pepper – For seasoning
Olive oil – For cooking
Red pepper flakes (optional) – For some heat
Lemon wedges (optional) – For squeezing over the carbonara
Step-By-Step Instructions
Follow these simple steps for perfect shrimp carbonara every time:
1. Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. I like to add a splash of olive oil to the water to prevent sticking.
Reserve about 1 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining – we’ll use this to make our sauce extra creamy. Drain the pasta and lightly toss with olive oil to prevent sticking.
2. Cook the Bacon and Shrimp
While your pasta is boiling, start cooking the bacon. Add the diced bacon to a large skillet and cook over medium heat until lightly browned and just crispy.
Remove the bacon to a paper towel lined plate. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the bacon fat.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add the shrimp. Cook for 2-3 minutes per side until the shrimp are pink and cooked through. Remove them to a plate.
Add the minced garlic to the pan and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
3. Whisk the Egg Mixture
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolk, and Parmesan, seasoning with salt and pepper. Stream in about 1/4 cup of the starchy pasta water while whisking vigorously to temper the eggs. This prevents curdling.
4. Put It All Together!
Turn the heat down to low under your skillet. Add the drained pasta and toss to coat in the garlic-infused bacon fat.
Gradually pour in the egg mixture, tossing constantly until the pasta is fully coated. The sauce will thicken as the eggs cook.
Add splashes of pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy consistency.
Stir in the shrimp and bacon until heated through.
5. Finish and Serve
Divide the carbonara between warmed bowls or plates. Garnish with chopped parsley and extra Parmesan if desired. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for some heat. Serve immediately with lemon wedges for squeezing over top.
Buon appetito!
Customize It!
Once you have the basic method down, play around with these fun additions and substitutions:
- Swap the shrimp for scallops, chicken, or Italian sausage
- Use pancetta, guanciale, or turkey bacon instead of regular bacon
- Add sautéed mushrooms, peas, or broccoli
- Stir in a spoonful of pesto or sun-dried tomatoes for flavor
- Substitute light cream or milk + a splash of cream for the heavy cream
- Use a mix of Parmesan and Pecorino Romano for the cheese
- Toss with fresh basil or oregano instead of parsley
- Add a splash of white wine to the pan when cooking the bacon
- Serve over zucchini noodles instead of pasta for low-carb
The possibilities are endless when riffing on carbonara. Use your imagination to make this classic your own!
Storing and Reheating Leftovers
Like many cream-based pasta dishes, shrimp carbonara is best freshly made. But leftovers can be stored and reheated using these tips:
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Let carbonara cool completely before storing in an airtight container in the fridge
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Consume within 2-3 days for best quality and flavor
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Reheat gently in a skillet over medium-low heat, adding a splash of cream or milk to thin out
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The microwave can work in a pinch, just be careful not to overcook the shrimp
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Avoid freezing carbonara, as the texture tends to suffer
With a little planning, you can get a second meal out of your efforts!
More Italian Pasta Recipe Ideas
Once you master shrimp carbonara, try your hand at these other classic Italian pasta dishes:
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Spaghetti Bolognese – Hearty meat sauce made with ground beef, tomatoes, wine, and warm spices
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Pasta Primavera – Fresh vegetables sautéed in a light cream sauce, perfect for spring
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Pasta aglio e olio – Garlic, olive oil, and Parm are the stars in this quick and easy pasta
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Lasagna – Layers of meaty tomato sauce, pasta, cheese, and béchamel sauce
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Fettuccine Alfredo – A velvety Parmesan cream sauce coats tender noodles
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Pesto pasta – Basil pesto’s bright flavor pairs perfectly with any pasta shape
The possibilities for pasta night are endless! Carbonara is a great starting point to boost your Italian cooking confidence. Savor the deliciousness of creamy, eggy carbonara with briny shrimp and smokey bacon. This recipe is sure to become a regular in your meal rotation.
Ingredients You Need to Make Shrimp Carbonara
- Eggs: large or extra large eggs
- Pecorino Romano: or parmesan cheese
- Olive Oil: good quality, extra-virgin olive oil
- Pancetta: or guanciale or bacon
- Shrimp: For the best flavor, use medium-sized shrimp, but large shrimp will also work.
- Bucatini: or spaghetti or other long, slender pasta
- Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper
The perfect carbonara is piping hot and coats the noodles like a velvet blanket. To keep the sauce from clumping or curdling, remember these 3 key steps.
- First, whisk the egg and cheese together. Leave at room temperature while you cook the pancetta and pasta.
- Add a little hot pasta cooking water to the eggs and whisk them in before adding them to the pasta. This will keep the eggs from curdling.
- At the end, quickly mix the pasta, shrimp, meat, and sauce together, and serve right away.
No, there are plenty of alternatives if you can’t find bucatini pasta, such as: spaghetti, linguine, or fettuccine. Use any long, slender pasta you like.
Parmesan cheese is a good substitute. Choose a high quality version, ideally Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana Padano.
It will still taste good without the bacon, but the bacon will add a smoky flavor. And if you can find guanciale, it’s the most traditional cured pork for this dish.
Cream isn’t a component of traditional carbonara sauce. Eggs can take on a creamy texture, similar to the process of crafting a delicate aioli. If you temper the eggs right, they won’t scramble. Instead, they’ll stick to the cheese and starchy pasta water, making a sauce that is smooth and velvety.
Shrimp Carbonara
How do you make Carbonara?
As I’m sure you know, carbonara is all about the technique. Here’s how to nail it every time: 1. Cook the meat: Cook the bacon, and set aside. Sear shrimp in bacon fat, and set aside. Add garlic, then the shrimp and bacon back to the pan. 2. Make the sauce: Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce. 3.
How do you make shrimp Carbonara without scrambling?
The trick is to stir the yolk into the warm shrimp, without scrambling. This is why you’ll want to remove your pan from heat and work quickly to incorporate. Heavy cream, or pasta water – For creamy shrimp carbonara, opt for heavy cream, for a more traditional shrimp carbonara no cream, go for pasta water.
What is shrimp Carbonara?
Every bite is deliciously creamy, salty, and indulgent. It has shrimp, bacon, parmesan, garlic, and pasta in a silky egg sauce. What more could you ask for? Shrimp carbonara is fancy enough to impress for date night or dinner parties. But it’s simple enough to eat on a regular weekday.
Does shrimp Carbonara omit Bacon?
This lighter shrimp carbonara omits bacon and is made with skim milk and half-and-half to cut calories. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook spaghetti in the boiling water, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 12 minutes. Drain and immediately return spaghetti to the pot.