15-Minute Shrimp Carbonara (No Cream!)

This Shrimp Carbonara is ready in under 15 minutes with a creamy, silky sauce - no cream required! My no-fail method ensures you get perfect carbonara every time (no scrambled eggs!), and the addition of garlic and shrimp gives this Italian classic a delicious twist

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian-American

Cook Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings

Calories 654kcal

Author Emmeline Kemperyd

Equipment

Ingredients

6 oz spaghetti reserve the pasta cooking water
2 egg yolks
½ cup shredded Pecorino cheese or Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper fresh ground is best + more to serve
2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
½ lb jumbo shrimp raw or pre-cooked; peeled and tail removed
¼ cup pasta cooking water + more if needed

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package instructions, in a large pot with heavily salted water. You want to cook it al dente, as it will finish cooking in the sauce. Usually it's a good idea to cook it 1 minute less than the package instruction. Make sure to reserve some of the cooking water before you drain it.
6 oz spaghetti
In a small bowl, combine egg yolks, shredded Pecorino cheese and ground black pepper. Mix well to create a paste.
2 egg yolks, ½ cup shredded Pecorino cheese, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds without browning.
2 tablespoon butter, 1 garlic clove
Add shrimp and cook 1-2 minutes per side until pink on both sides (if using raw shrimp) or 1 minute per side (if using pre-cooked shrimp).
½ lb jumbo shrimp
Add the cooked pasta to the skillet and mix well to coat with butter, then turn off the heat. You will want to work fast from this point on.
Add about 1 tablespoon of hot pasta cooking water to the cheese and egg paste you created before, and mix well to combine. Slowly add the rest of the pasta cooking water.
¼ cup pasta cooking water
Add the cheese mixture to the pan and toss to combine and coat the pasta. You want it to create a nice, silky, sauce. Add more pasta cooking water if needed to create the perfect consistency and amount of sauce. Serve!

Video

Notes

The temperature is the secret to a good sauce. You don't want the sauce to get too hot or too cold. If you add the cheese-and-egg mix to a hot pan the eggs will scramble, and this is not what we're after. And if it gets too cold, it will be thin and watery instead of silky and creamy.

If the sauce is too thin, you can often save it. Turn on the heat again at low temperature, and mix constantly as the heat rises. If needed, add a bit more pasta water as the sauce thickens.

If the eggs have scrambled, there's not much to do. You can still eat it but it won't be the same at all.

What to Do with Leftovers

Carbonara is always eaten best right after cooking. You can save leftovers, but the texture and consistency will not be the same.

Storing: Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Freezing: I do not recommend freezing leftovers as the consistency of the sauce will not be the same at all.

Reheating in microwave: Reheat leftovers in the microwave in 1-minute increments, mixing between each segment.

Nutrition