This 10-minute Shrimp Carbonara is a delicious twist on the classic Italian pasta dish. All the creamy texture of traditional Carbonara, with the addition of perfectly cooked shrimp. A delightful fusion that will satisfy your cravings for both seafood and pasta, all with an easy no-fail no-cream carbonara method!
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.
2 servings spaghetti
In a small bowl, combine egg yolks, shredded Pecorino cheese and 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.
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
Ingredient notes & substitutions
Shreded Pecorino Romano cheese: It's best to shred it yourself, but you can also use pre-shredded cheese as long as it is 100% cheese with nothing else added.
Shrimp should be peeled, and I prefer to remove the tail for easy eating. You can use raw or pre-cooked shrimp.
Garlic is not a traditional ingredient for carbonara, but neither is shrimp. It adds amazing flavor, but feel free to skip it if you want.
Pasta: I prefer making carbonara with spaghetti, but any long type of pasta like angel hair, tagliatelle or bucatini pasta will work.
Salt: You probably won't need to add any salt to the finished dish.
Tips & tricks
The temperature is the secret to achieving a silky sauce instead of scrambled eggs - you don't want it to be too hot or too cold. If you add the cheese-and-egg mix to a hot pan the eggs will cook, and this is not what we're after.
Don't overcook the shrimp - they're done as soon as they are pink and opaque through, and they will keep cooking after you add the pasta and sauce
Store leftovers in the fridge in an air tight container for up to 3 days
Reheat leftoves in the microwave in 1 minute increments
I don't recommend freezing leftovers as the consistency of the sauce will be ruined