A creamy and hearty spaghetti dish that’s quick and easy to make!
I’m going to be completely honest with you. Shrimp and shellfish (honestly, most seafood) aren’t my favorite foods. I pretty much avoid them. But my brother LOVES shrimp. Forget lobster or crab or fancy oysters or sushi. All that is just fine. However, when he goes to a restaurant with a seafood buffet, he makes a beeline for any shrimp option. If he sees it on a menu, it’s guaranteed what he’s going to order. So, when my brother visits, I like to be a hostess with the mostest!
Carbonara is a pasta dish that is believed to have originated in the Lazio region of Italy and comes from a word translating to “charcoal burner.” This has nothing to do with the preparation of the dish, but rather, an unconfirmed theory is that it was first made as a meal for Italian charcoal burners. Some also believe that it was created in its more modern form by American soldiers in Rome during WWII who mixed their rations of eggs and bacon with local pasta for a ‘spaghetti breakfast.’ Whatever the origin, the dish has become a favorite meal of many people with an empty stomach, not just charcoal workers or soldiers.
According to my brother’s distinguished taste in shrimp, this recipe is exquisite, with no notes. It’s got pasta, a go-to comfort food, garlic, and shrimp. One could hardly ask for more than that, and yet there is! Carbonara isn’t just pasta; it’s a special type of pasta dish prepared with eggs that will be creamy and rich in flavor and texture while being easy and straightforward to make.
Eggcellent Sauce!
Making an egg-based sauce isn’t something I’ve seen in a lot of recipes other than carbonara, at least not in Western cooking. Whisking your eggs well is the best way to achieve a silky sauce. This works best when your eggs are at room temperature rather than chilled right out of the fridge. Pouring your sauce on the warm spaghetti will gently cook the eggs onto the spaghetti (along with melting the cheese to get that smooth and beautiful coat of sauce)! Be sure to completely coat your pasta for best results.
How to Make Ahead and Store
Although this dish is the best quality when eaten fresh, you can save any leftover shrimp carbonara in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Avoid over-reheating to keep your shrimp from getting rubbery. Overheating will also break the sauce. It’s best to reheat on medium-low heat on your stove, cooked just until it gets warm enough to eat, and not any longer. This dish doesn’t freeze well, so I definitely recommend eating it fresh or in those 3 days.
Serving Suggestions
Shrimp carbonara has a heavy and creamy flavor due to its sauce, so a light salad as a side dish, like a Wedge Salad or Cucumber and Tomato Salad, is your best go-to. Also, you can serve some Garlic Rolls on the side to dip in the sauce left when you’re done eating your pasta and shrimp!
Shrimp Carbonara
Ingredients
- 12 ounces spaghetti
- 4 slices bacon diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 8 ounces large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
- Fresh parsley chopped (for garnish)
Instructions
- Begin by boiling a large pot of salted water and cook the spaghetti until al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of pasta water.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Remove the bacon and set aside, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet.
- Add the minced garlic to the skillet and sauté for about 1 minute until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook until they are pink and opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, and black pepper.
- Quickly add the hot spaghetti to the skillet with the shrimp. Pour the egg and cheese mixture over the pasta, tossing continuously to coat the pasta and gently cook the eggs with the residual heat. Add reserved pasta water as needed to achieve a creamy consistency.
- Mix in the cooked bacon and season with salt to taste. Serve immediately, garnished with fresh parsley.
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