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Shrimp Carbonara with Parmesan

A rich and creamy pasta dish featuring tender shrimp, crispy guanciale, and a velvety egg-Parmesan sauce, finished with freshly ground black pepper.
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings 4 people
Calories 720 kcal

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Large Skillet or Dutch Oven
  • slotted spoon
  • Medium bowl
  • Whisk

Ingredients
  

Main Ingredients

  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 4-6 ounces guanciale diced
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus extra for serving
  • 2-3 cloves garlic minced
  • black pepper Freshly ground, to taste
  • 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/2 - 1 cup pasta water reserved from cooking
  • salt to taste, for pasta water

Egg Mixture

  • 2 large whole eggs
  • 2 large egg yolks

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Dice the cured meat, mince the garlic, peel and devein the shrimp, and grate the Parmesan. In a bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, black pepper, and three-quarters of the grated Parmesan.

Cooking

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta, and cook until al dente; reserve 1-2 cups of starchy pasta water before draining.
  • While pasta cooks, heat a large skillet and cook diced cured meat until crispy. Remove the meat, leaving fat in the pan, and set aside.
  • Add olive oil if needed to the pan, increase heat to medium-high, and cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side until pink; remove shrimp and set aside with the cured meat.
  • Reduce heat to low, add minced garlic, and sauté for about 30 seconds until fragrant, then remove the pan from the heat.
  • Quickly add the hot, drained pasta to the skillet, pour the egg and Parmesan mixture over it, and toss vigorously, adding reserved pasta water until a creamy sauce forms.
  • Gently fold in the cooked shrimp and crispy cured meat, adding more pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
  • Garnish with extra freshly grated Parmesan cheese and black pepper, then serve immediately.

Notes

To ensure the egg sauce doesn't scramble, remove the pan from heat before adding the egg mixture and pasta, then toss vigorously, incorporating pasta water gradually.