Shrimp & Pancetta Carbonara

Carbonara, Carbonara! One of those fancy little dishes you can pay an arm and  a leg for at an Italian restaurant and go home wishing you had more! Save your wishes for your birthday cake and make this dish yourself. 

Carbonara is easily one of my favorite Italian Pasta dishes. It's quick to make, colorful and chalk full of fresh flavors. The dish is not nearly as intimadating as some believe. The key is to have the pasta and skillet of the ingredients cooking at the same time in order to quickly combine into the egg mixture. The hot pasta, sautéd onions, shrimp, pancetta mixture cook the eggs and melt the cheese producing a nice flavorful creaminess. Adding the eggs and cheese mixture directly into the pasta pan is a BIG no no!--Instead of a creamy pasta you'll end up with a result more akin to scrambled eggs & pasta.


You can also add sliced seasonal vegetables to this, such as zucchini, squash or mushrooms. But this dish is awesome in it's simplicity and perfect for dining al fresco with a nice bottle of wine. 


Ingredients (serves 4)
1 - 1.5 lb medium to large shrimp. Remove shells and devaine. I love shrimp and always end up using 1.5lbs. 
1 cup pancetta or bacon diced
1/2 cup sweet onion, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 cloves chopped garlic minced
3 large eggs 
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Zest of 1 large lemon
1 lemon juiced
1 pinch of old bay seasoning
2 Tablespoon of butter
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound spaghetti pasta
Optional: 1/3 cup of toasted almonds (sliced or slivered) or 1/3 cup of toasted bread crumbs.
Note: You can easily change this recipe by replacing the shrimp with cubes of halibut, cod, mussels, clams or crab meat. 


Directions
In a large skillet heat olive oil on medium high. Sauté diced pancetta or bacon, onions and garlic. Meanwhile bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add spaghetti pasta and cook al dente. Drain.


Once sautéd to a golden brown, push to the side of skillet to make room for the shrimp. Add 2 tablespoons of butter, the shrimp and sauté until opaque (approx. 5 to 6 minutes, see figure 1). 

Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl (large enough to eventually hold the pasta and sautéd mixture), add the eggs, salt, pepper, Old Bay seasoning, Parmesan cheese, 1/2 of the lemon juice, zest and parsley together in a large bowl, see figure 2. 

Immediately add the pasta into the mixing bowl.Add the sautéd mixture from skillet to mixing bowl.  Quickly mix in order to "cream" the eggs instead of "scrambling" them. Continue mixing ensuring all pasta is coated, see figure 3.

Do a taste test and add more of the lemon juice and/or seasonings to taste. Transfer to serving platter and sprinkle pasta with toasted almonds or bread crumbs (a sprinkle of crushed chili pepper flakes add a nice punch). Serve with a nice crusty french bread. I served mine with homemade sundried tomato/basil rolls. Simply bellisimooo!