Description
A rich yet simple Shrimp Carbonara made with tender shrimp, a silky egg-and-Parmesan sauce, and perfectly cooked pasta for a comforting, restaurant-style meal at home.
Ingredients
12 ounces spaghetti pasta
3 large eggs (or 2 eggs plus 1 egg yolk)
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 slices smoked beef strips, cut into pieces
3 cloves garlic, minced
12 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and cook the spaghetti until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water, then drain.
- In a bowl, whisk together the eggs, grated Parmesan cheese, and chopped parsley until smooth. Set aside.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the smoked beef strips until lightly crisp. Remove and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the minced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant.
- Add the shrimp and cook until pink and just cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce heat to low and add the drained pasta to the skillet.
- Turn off the heat and slowly stir in the egg mixture, adding reserved pasta water as needed while stirring continuously to create a creamy sauce.
- Add the cooked shrimp and smoked beef back to the skillet, season with salt and black pepper, and toss until evenly coated.
- Serve immediately with extra Parmesan and freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
Always remove the pan from heat before adding the egg mixture to prevent scrambling.
Reserved pasta water helps create a smooth, glossy sauce.
Best served immediately for optimal texture.
Red pepper flakes or lemon juice can be added for extra flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 bowl
- Calories: 560
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 620mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 7g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 58g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 36g
- Cholesterol: 210mg
