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Shrimp and Chicken Carbonara Recipe

This Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Recipe has succulent shrimp and chicken tossed in a white carbonara sauce with pancetta and pasta!
Course Main Dishes
Cuisine Italian
Keyword Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara, Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 958kcal

Ingredients

  • 8 oz fettuccine or spaghetti pasta
  • 1 cup parmesan cheese or pecorino
  • ½ cup brown onion diced
  • 1 garlic cloves minced
  • 11-12 large shrimp, peeled and deveined about 11 oz
  • 1 large chicken breast butterflied about 10 oz
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil or neutral cooking oil your choice
  • 1 cup pancetta or more traditional Guanciale or fatty bacon diced
  • 2 eggs
  • ½ cup bell pepper sliced medium thick
  • Black pepper to taste

For Breading

Instructions

  • Onions and Peppers. In a larger skillet, add some cooking oil and cook the onion together with bell peppers until almost softened. Set aside.
  • Cook the Shrimp. Season the shrimp with salt and black pepper and cook in the same skillet with garlic until it turns pink. Set aside on a plate and cover with aluminum foil while you cook the rest.
  • Crispy Chicken. In a small bowl whisk one egg and in another bowl combine flour and breadcrumbs with a little salt. One by one coat the chicken pieces first in egg and then dip in flour mixture. Add more oil to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes on both sides until the exterior is nicely golden brown and crispy. Set aside on a plate with paper towels to drain excess oil.
  • Pasta. Cook pasta in a pot with water, don’t season it with salt. You’ll have to complete the next steps quickly to be ready when pasta is cooked. Do nto drai nthe pasta jsu tyet. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water separately.
  • Creamy sauce. In a small bowl whisk together 2 eggs, parmesan cheese and a splash of pasta cooking water. The mixture should be thick yet still pourable. Set aside.
  • Pancetta. While pasta is cooking, in a new larger clean skillet over medium-low heat cook pancetta with black pepper to taste (no oil). Take half of the pancetta out on a side plate.
  • Once the pasta is cooked, in batches, transfer the pasta using tongs to the skillet. Don’t drain the pasta and transfer it with tongs from the pot with the same cooking water it comes with. But not too much. Stir through.
  • Add in egg mixture gently stirring through and coating all the pasta with it. The pasta should become creamy. Add an extra splash or two reserved pasta cooking water, until you get the creamy texture. The pasta should not be dry and compared to heavy cream sauces stays creamy and moist longer while it sits.
  • Stir in the bell peppers and onions. Top with breaded chicken and garlicky shrimps and serve with freshly chopped parsley and more black pepper on top. Enjoy.

Notes

  • Shrimp - shrimp will cook very fast, about 1 minute per side.
  • Flavor - well seasoned, salty without adding any salt at all. Ultra creamy.
  • Pancetta - needs lots of black pepper. If you can find it, it is best to use traditional guanciale and cut it into thicker strips with lots of fat in it. Fat is what creates the creamy sauce once combined with pasta water.

Nutrition

Calories: 958kcal | Carbohydrates: 83g | Protein: 50g | Fat: 46g | Saturated Fat: 16g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 409mg | Sodium: 1365mg | Potassium: 659mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1206IU | Vitamin C: 26mg | Calcium: 383mg | Iron: 3mg