This Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Pasta is perfect for special occasions! Tender chicken pieces, juicy shrimp, and crispy bacon in a creamy sauce with onions, garlic, and red peppers make for a truly spectacular dish. Serve with crispy breadcrumbs and bucatini!
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This recipe is not a traditional Italian carbonara, we know. This recipe is the Olive Garden chicken & shrimp version, a fan favorite that's packed with flavor.
This recipe is perfect for the home cook who wants to skip the takeout and make something next level. It's complete with a rich carbonara sauce made with egg yolks, cream, and parmesan.
If you're looking for more hearty pasta dishes to try, be sure to try this lobster pasta, this spicy shrimp pasta, this creamy salmon pasta, this squid ink pasta with calamari, this Cajun shrimp and sausage pasta, and this Cajun salmon pasta!
You may also like this butter poached lobster, these baked crab legs, this cajun seafood boil recipe, or this chicken and broccoli pasta bake.
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❤️Why we love this recipe
- Perfect for date night or special occasions - Maybe you need something extra special for Valentine's Day or date night, or even a birthday! This recipe pulls out all the stops.
- Made with staple ingredients - Made with pantry staples, you can find anything you don't already have on hand in nearly any grocery store.
- Hearty and filling - This protein packed pasta makes for a very filling dinner!
- Cheaper than takeout - Make this Olive Garden copycat at home for a fraction of the price, plus, there will be leftovers!
🍤Ingredients
Here are the ingredients we used for this recipe. You can find more information for substitutions below.
- Boneless skinless chicken breasts. We used chicken breast tenders so that they cooked up even quicker, but feel free to use what you have on hand.
- Large shrimp. Peeled and deveined to remove the shrimp intestines. You can leave the tails on or off, it's up to you. We'd recommend using a larger or jumbo shrimp, somewhere between 16/20 shrimp per pound (colossal) to jumbo at 21/25 per pound.
- Parmesan cheese. Freshly grated. It's really important to grate your own instead of using pre-shredded cheese, or else it may clump in the sauce. Pre-shredded cheese has anti-caking agents that prevent smooth melting.
- Pasta. We opted for bucatini because it's a nice sturdy noodle that holds up well to the sauce and all of the proteins.
- Reserved pasta water. An essential part of this dish. ALWAYS save more pasta water than you think you will even need! Not only does it help the sauce come together by heating (and thus cooking) the egg yolks, but it also helps the sauce cling to the noodles. We also use it to help loosen the pasta when reheating it.
Visit the recipe card for the full quantities and nutritional information.
✨Substitutions & variations
Here are a few suggestions on additional flavors to try, or simple variations to this recipe.
- Lower calorie. Omit the heavy whipping cream, and bacon.
- Swap the bacon. If you want to go a more traditional route, you can swap bacon for guanciale or pancetta. This crispy prosciutto would also be great!
- Omit the red bell pepper. If you don't like red bell pepper, that's no problem, you can just leave it out.
- Skip the breadcrumbs. The breadcrumbs are an untraditional addition, but they really bring the whole dish together. You can easily leave them out.
- Spicy. Add some red pepper flakes and/or cayenne pepper to taste. You may also enjoy this cajun shrimp and sausage pasta!
- Use onion and garlic powder - If you're low on time, you can use garlic and onion powder instead of fresh onion and garlic.
🔪Prep work
- Thinly slice bell peppers.
- Dice the onion.
- Mince the garlic and (optional) parsley.
- Peel and devein the shrimp if necessary.
- Grate parmesan cheese.
- If using breadcrumbs, preheat the oven to 400°F, with a rack on the lower middle position. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Measure out all remaining ingredients.
📋Instructions
Toast the breadcrumbs
If making crispy bread crumbs, continue to steps 1 & 2. If you are skipping the breadcrumbs, skip to step 3.
Add panko breadcrumbs in a single layer to the baking sheet, then season with salt, pepper, parsley, and olive oil. (Image 1) Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the desired color is achieved, then immediately remove from heat and set aside. (Image 2)
Make the bacon
Add bacon to a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the bacon is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. (Image 3) Reserve two tablespoons of bacon grease, and discard the rest. Set bacon on a paper towel-lined plate to absorb any extra grease.
Cook the chicken
In a mixing bowl, season the chicken with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning. (Image 4)
Add olive oil to the skillet, then cook the chicken until browned on both sides, and the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F, then remove from the skillet and set aside. (Image 5) Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes then cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
Pro tip: Cook time will vary depending on the size of the chicken. For a large chicken breast, it will take roughly 5-6 minutes per side to cook through. Smaller pieces (like tenders) will cook much faster. That's why using an instant-read thermometer (affiliate link) is helpful.
Cook the shrimp
In a separate mixing bowl, add the shrimp, along with salt, pepper, smoked paprika, and Italian seasoning. (Image 6)
Increase to medium-high heat, and add the remaining olive oil, followed by the shrimp in a single layer.
Cook until translucent and the internal temperature reaches 145°F with a thermometer. This should take about one minute per side. You may have to cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. (Image 7)
Once cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of pasta to a boil. Once boiling, salt the water heavily (it should taste very salty) then add the bucatini. Cook for about 2-3 minutes under the suggested cooking time according to the package. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.
Cook the veggies
Reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter and reserved bacon fat. Then, add the onions and bell peppers with a good pinch of salt. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes, then add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant about 30 seconds. (Image 8)
Make the rich carbonara sauce
In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, heavy cream, parmesan, some salt, and pepper. Whisk vigorously with a heavy-duty wire whisk to combine. (Image 9)
Using tongs, add the cooked pasta right into the skillet, then remove the skillet from the heat, and add in the egg yolk mixture. (Image 10)
Toss constantly with the tongs while very slowly pouring in small amounts of pasta water to help gently cook the egg, and make the sauce cling to the noodles. (Image 11)
Bring it all together
Add back the cooked chicken, bacon bits, shrimp, and fresh parsley. Toss to combine and adjust seasonings to taste. (Image 12)
Garnish with the toasted breadcrumbs, more parsley, salt, pepper, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
✨Tips & tricks
- Undercook the pasta. Remove the pasta from the water and place right into the skillet when it is about 2-3 minutes under the package instructions for cook time. We want the pasta to be al dente, this ensures the pasta doesn't become mushy and overcooked, as it will continue to cook with the hot veggies in the pan.
- Once the pasta is added, remove the skillet from the heat. Don't add in the egg yolk mixture until the pasta is removed from the heat, or else you will end up with scrambled eggs.
- Keep the pasta and egg yolk mixture moving with tongs when adding pasta water. You want to toss the mixture constantly to ensure the noodles are well coated, and that you don't scramble the egg yolk.
- Use freshly grated parmesan cheese. This ensures your sauce doesn't become lumpy.
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💭Frequently Asked Questions
Traditional Italian carbonara is a pasta dish from Rome made with egg yolks, hard cheese (usually parmesan or pecorino romano), cured pork (usually guanciale or pancetta), and black pepper.
Absolutely not, but it is delicious! This shrimp and chicken carbonara is definitely not an authentic Italian food, but has been made popularized by the Italian-American chain Olive Garden.
Although it's not authentic, it's certainly delicious, and includes onion, garlic, bacon, chicken, shrimp, bell peppers, and cream.
The raw egg yolks in carbonara actually get cooked by the residual heat of the hot pasta and pasta water. Essentially, the egg is not raw by the time you eat it, and is generally considered safe to eat!
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Leave off any breadcrumbs until right before serving, or they will become soggy. Do not freeze.
We also highly recommend storing leftover pasta water in a separate container in the fridge, and adding a bit of it to the pasta when reheating it.
When reheating, add a bit of pasta water, and reheat gently on the stovetop until warmed through, or on 50% power in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish.
More Recipes To Consider
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📖 Recipe
Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara
Equipment
- large stock pot or dutch oven
Ingredients
- ½ cup panko breadcrumbs (optional)
- 4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
- 1.5 teaspoons black pepper, divided
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- fresh parsley (optional)
- 12 ounces bacon, cut into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons reserved bacon fat
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (can use chicken tenders)
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 1 large red bell pepper, sliced thin
- 10 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 large egg yolks
- 4 ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1 pound bucatini
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
Instructions
- If making breadcrumbs, add panko breadcrumbs in a single layer to the baking sheet, then season with salt, pepper, parsley, and olive oil. Bake for 5-10 minutes, until the desired color is achieved, then immediately remove from heat and set aside. If not making breadcrumbs, skip ahead to the next step.
- Add bacon to a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the bacon is browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside on a paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve two tablespoons of bacon grease, and discard the rest.
- In a mixing bowl, season the chicken with 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet, then cook the chicken until browned on both sides, and the internal temperature reaches at least 165°F, then remove from the skillet and set aside. Allow the chicken to rest for 5-10 minutes then cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- In a separate mixing bowl, add the shrimp, along with 1 teaspoon of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper, ½ teaspoon of smoked paprika, and ½ teaspoon of Italian seasoning. Increase the heat to medium-high heat, and add the remaining olive oil, followed by the shrimp in a single layer. Cook until translucent and the internal temperature reaches 145°F with a thermometer. This should take about one minute per side. You may have to cook in batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Once cooked, remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Meanwhile, bring a large pot of pasta to a boil. Once boiling, salt the water heavily (it should taste very salty) then add the bucatini. Cook for about 2-3 minutes under the suggested cooking time according to the package. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce.
- Reduce the heat to medium, and add the butter and reserved bacon fat. Then, add the onions and bell peppers with a good pinch of salt. Cook until softened and translucent, about 5-7 minutes, then add in the garlic and cook until the garlic is fragrant about 30 seconds.
- In a mixing bowl, combine egg yolks, heavy cream, parmesan, some salt, and pepper. Whisk vigorously with a heavy-duty wire whisk to combine.
- Using tongs, add the cooked pasta right into the skillet, then remove the skillet from the heat, and add in the egg yolk mixture. Toss constantly with the tongs while very slowly pouring in small amounts of pasta water to help gently cook the egg, and make the sauce cling to the noodles.
- Add back the cooked chicken, bacon bits, shrimp, and fresh parsley. Toss to combine and adjust seasonings to taste. Garnish with the toasted breadcrumbs, more parsley, salt, pepper, and freshly grated parmesan cheese. Enjoy!
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Do not freeze. When reheating, add a bit of pasta water, and reheat gently on the stovetop until warmed through, or on 50% power in the microwave in a microwave-safe dish.
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Notes
- You can swap bacon with guanciale or pancetta for a more traditional ingredient.
- Always reserve salty pasta water and store leftovers in the fridge, as it helps the sauce come together when the egg yolks are added, and it's great for reheating the pasta later.
- Be sure to use freshly grated parmesan to ensure it melts properly.
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