Description
“A rich and creamy chicken and shrimp carbonara recipe inspired by Olive Garden, perfect for beginners looking to recreate a restaurant-quality meal at home.
Ingredients
Scale
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined (or 1 lb cubed boneless, skinless chicken breast)
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup onion, minced
- 3 tablespoons bacon bits
- 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
- 1 1/2 cups milk
- 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, grated or shredded
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 lb linguine or any long pasta of choice
- 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
- 1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 1 garlic clove, minced (for topping)
- 2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, chopped
- 1 tablespoon butter, melted
- 2 tablespoons chopped flat-leaf parsley
Instructions
-
- In a bowl, combine olive oil, Italian seasoning, and minced garlic. Add the shrimp or chicken and toss to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add minced onion and garlic, sauté until softened.
- Stir in the flour and cook for 1–2 minutes. Gradually whisk in the heavy cream and milk until smooth.
- Add bacon bits and Parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 5–7 minutes until thickened.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain and toss with a little olive oil to prevent sticking. Reserve some pasta water.
- In a separate pan, cook marinated shrimp (about 2 minutes per side) or chicken until fully cooked. Set aside.
- Stir cooked protein into the sauce. Add cooked pasta and mix until well coated. Add reserved pasta water if the sauce is too thick.
- In a bowl, combine Parmesan, mozzarella, panko, minced garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, melted butter, and parsley.
- Transfer pasta mixture to an oven-safe dish. Sprinkle breadcrumb topping evenly.
- Broil for 5–7 minutes or until the top is golden brown and bubbly. Serve hot with extra parsley if desired.
Notes
- Don’t overcook shrimp—remove as soon as it turns pink and opaque.
- Use reserved pasta water to adjust sauce consistency if it becomes too thick.
- For extra flavor, marinate the protein longer than 30 minutes if time allows.
- Pre-shredded cheese works fine, but fresh cheese melts better.
- Swap breadcrumbs with crushed crackers or omit for a lighter version.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop and Broiler
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
- Calories: 720
- Sugar: 5g
- Sodium: 780mg
- Fat: 42g
- Saturated Fat: 20g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 50g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 38g
- Cholesterol: 215mg