This Shrimp Carbonara recipe is a perfect pasta dinner that only takes 25 minutes to make! Perfectly cooked pasta is coated in a creamy egg & butter sauce and tossed with tender shrimp and crispy bacon. It’s a great weeknight dinner.
Another quick weeknight shrimp pasta recipe is this Shrimp Scampi Linguine. You can’t go wrong with either one!
Ingredients
Here are the things that you need to make this Shrimp Carbonara Recipe and some tips on specific ingredients –
Room Temperature Egg – It is important that you use a room temperature egg so that it will break down properly in the food processor (or blender)
Pro Tip: To bring an egg to room temp quickly simply place it in a bowl of warm water for about 5 minutes.
Garlic- This recipe does call for quite a bit of garlic! The flavor is amazing mixed with the bacon, cheese and shrimp. However, if you are sensitive to garlic, then I recommend that you reduce the amount of garlic to 4 cloves.
Shrimp– When you buy it in the store it may be labeled as a number value. This means how many shrimp are in a pound.
For this Shrimp Carbonara you want to use a “large” shrimp, which will generally be around 31/35.
Step By Step Picture Instructions
This recipe comes together really quickly, so I HIGHLY RECCOMEND that you prep all the ingredients before getting started: put salted water on to boil, slice the bacon, place the egg in warm water to bring to room temp, mince the garlic, measure out the butter, pepper flakes, salt, and parm cheese, also chop the parsley.
Now that you are prepared (called mise en place in French. Fancy!) grab a food processor or blender and we will make the base of the sauce.
In the processor/blender add the egg, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, softened butter, and parmesan cheese. Blend about 15 seconds until it is creamy. You may need to stop and scrape the sides down. Set the butter mixture aside for now.
Pop the pasta in the boiling water to cook per package instructions.
Pro Tip: Place a measuring cup in your colander and you won’t forget to reserve the starchy pasta water!!
In a large skillet sauté the bacon over medium heat until it is crisped and brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.
Drain all but 2 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pan.
Add the shrimp to the bacon grease in the pan and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, just until the shrimp are a nice pink color.
Remove the shrimp from the pan and place on the plate with the bacon.
Place the now empty skillet over medium heat. Pour in ¼ cup reserved starchy pasta water and deglaze the bottom of the pan.
Deglazing – scraping up with browned bits from the bottom of the pan with hot liquid.
Stir in the pasta, butter/egg mixture, parsley, bacon, and shrimp. Give it a good toss to coat the pasta in the sauce.
Serve immediately topped with parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.
Recipe Tips
- The recipe comes together really quickly, so prep all your ingredients before you start cooking!
- This is not a “make-ahead” recipe, it is best served immediately.
- Make sure you use a room temperature egg. They will process properly when at room temp.
- Don’t be shy with the cheese! If you like a creamier cheesier pasta, add another ¼ cup of cheese.
- Don’t forget to reserve the starchy pasta cooking water! Place a measuring cup in your colander to remind you.
- This recipe would also be delicious with fettuccine or bucatini pasta.
Audio Recipe
Listen to the full recipe, including tips and tricks, using the player below.
Recipe FAQ’s
Shrimp Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish made with shrimp and bacon tossed in a creamy sauce that is made with egg, butter and parmesan cheese.
Yes, Carbonara is traditionally made with a raw egg. It is part of the sauce that makes it completely creamy and decadent. You can rest assured that the hot pasta and hot pan cook the egg enough to be safe.
If you prefer to not use parmesan cheese in Carbonara that is totally fine, there are plenty of other options. Two great options are Gruyere or Grana Padano. You can use a Pecorino Romano, although it is a little saltier than parmesan.
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Shrimp Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 large egg at room temp (bring to room temp in a bowl of warm water for 5 minutes)
- 6 tablespoon butter at room temp.
- ⅓ cup parmesan cheese grated
- 6 garlic cloves
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 6 slices bacon diced
- ¾ lb large shrimp peeled and deveined (about 31/35 count)
- 12 oz linguine
- ½ cup RESERVED starchy pasta cooking water
- ⅓ cup Italian parsley finely chopped
Garnish
- additional parsley, parmesan cheese, and cracked black pepper
Instructions
Mise en Place (Get Prepped)
- This recipe comes together really quickly, so I HIGHLY RECCOMEND that you prep all the ingredients before getting started.Put salted water on to boil, slice the bacon, place the egg in warm water to bring to room temp, mince the garlic, measure out the butter, pepper flakes, salt, and parmesan cheese, also chop the parsley.
Shrimp Carbonara
- In a food processor or blender add the egg, minced garlic, red pepper flakes, salt, softened butter, and parmesan cheese. Blend for about 15 seconds until it is creamy. You may need to stop and scrape the sides down. Set the butter mixture aside for now.1 large egg, 6 tablespoon butter, ⅓ cup parmesan cheese, 6 garlic cloves, ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- Pop the pasta in the boiling water to cook per package instructions. DON'T FORGET TO RESERVE ½ CUP STARCHY PASTA WATER!!Pro Tip: Place a measuring cup in your colander and you won't forget to reserve the starchy pasta water!!12 oz linguine
- In a large skillet sauté the bacon over medium heat until it is crisped and brown. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon to a paper towel lined plate.6 slices bacon
- Drain all but 2 tablespoon of bacon grease from the pan.
- Add the shrimp to the bacon grease in the pan and cook over medium heat for about 3 minutes, just until the shrimp are a nice pink color.Remove the shrimp from the pan and place on the plate with the bacon.¾ lb large shrimp peeled and deveined
- Place the now empty skillet over medium heat. Pour in ¼ cup reserved starchy pasta water and deglaze the bottom of the pan.½ cup RESERVED starchy pasta cooking water
- Stir in the pasta, butter/egg mixture, parsley, bacon, and shrimp. Give it a good toss to coat the pasta in the sauce.Pro Tip: Add more pasta water and parmesan cheese if you like it creamier!⅓ cup Italian parsley
- Serve immediately topped with parmesan cheese and cracked black pepper.additional parsley, parmesan cheese, and cracked black pepper
Notes:
- The recipe comes together really quickly, so prep all your ingredients before you start cooking!
- This is not a “make-ahead” recipe, it is best served immediately.
- Make sure you use a room temperature egg. It will process properly when it is at room temp.
- Don’t be shy with the cheese! If you like a creamier cheesier pasta, add another ¼ cup of cheese.
- Could also use Grana Padano or Gruyere cheese in place of parmesan cheese.
- Don’t forget to reserve the starchy pasta cooking water! Place a measuring cup in your colander to remind you.
- This recipe would also be delicious with fettuccine or bucatini pasta.
If nutrition facts are provided they are calculated as an estimate to the best of our knowledge.
Clarissa
Yum!
Wendy todys
I doubled the recipe and added sliced red bell pepper to the shrimp while cooking. Absolutely delicious !
Kim Dezelan
I love this recipe. Always a hit when I make it. Comes together so nicely with your great instructions. Thanks!
RUDY E KILGORE
I loved the flavors in this but for some reason my egg did not blend well into a creamy sauce. (everything was room temperature as directed and blended as per the suggested time.) There were little bits of egg that did into the mixture and thus the final dish had visible egg particles in it. Please respond I want to make it again.
Susie Weinrich
I’m so sorry this happened. I am stumped on this one! The eggs definitely should have blended all the way down, especially if it was room temp and mixed in a blender or food processor. You could try to temper the sauce with just a splash of the hot pasta cooking water before adding it to the hot pasta. Other than that I don’t have any suggestions if you followed everything to a T, including ingredients and temps. I would give it another try for sure! I think your results were maybe just a fluke.
kurt gandenberger
i have been making carbonara recipes for many years. do not get upset with little bits of egg that do not incorporate. it does not affect the flavor and is certainly a matter of technique. the longer you make it the more perfect it will be. but watch portion size because this stuff is high calorie and so delicious you will want to eat too much.
Amanda
Egg whites cook faster than egg yokes. So it would help to use 2-3 egg yokes (separate egg whites to use for breakfast, etc.) I always use a higher ratio of egg yokes to egg whites when making carbonara.