Panko Chicken Carbonara and Shrimp Pasta (No cream)
Panko Chicken carbonara recipe consists of a rich carbonara sauce with pancetta, succulent shrimp, red bell pepper, delicious chicken, and cooked pasta.
Ingredients
For Creamy Pasta
- 8 oz fettuccine, or spaghetti pasta
- 1 cup parmesan cheese, or pecorino
- ½ cup brown onion, diced
- 1 garlic cloves, minced
- 11-12 large shrimp, about 11 oz
- 1 large chicken breast , butterflied, about 10 oz
- 1 tablespoon olive oil , or neutral cooking oil your choice
- 1 cup pancetta or more traditional Guanciale or fatty bacon, diced
- 3 egg yolks
- ½ cup bell pepper, sliced medium thick
- black pepper, to taste
For Breading
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
Instructions
- Veggies. In a large saucepan add a tablespoon of olive oil. Let onions and bell peppers sizzle together on medium-high heat until they're almost softened. Don't forget to give them a good stir every now and then. Set aside.
- Shrimp. Sprinkle some salt and black pepper on the shrimp and toss them in the skillet with minced garlic. Cook the shrimp until they turn a beautiful pink color. Once they're done, set them aside on a plate and cover them up with aluminum foil to keep them warm and juicy while you cook up the rest of the dish.
- Panko Chicken. In a small mixing bowl whisk the egg. In another bowl, combine some flour and panko breadcrumbs with a pinch of salt. Dunk the chicken pieces in the egg, then roll them around in the panko-flour mixture until they're fully coated.
- Add a bit more oil to the skillet and cook those chicken pieces for 3-4 minutes on each side until they're nice and golden brown and crispy on the outside. Once they're done, transfer them to a plate with some paper towels to soak up any excess oil.
- Egg yolks. For the next step take a medium bowl, whisk together 2 eggs, parmesan cheese and a splash of pasta cooking water. You'l lsee when the mixture is ready as it starts to thicken. However, the mixture should be thick yet still pourable. Set aside.
- Pasta. Cook pasta al dente in a pot with water, without adding salt. Do not drain the pasta just yet, you’ll need the ‘’wet pasta’’ for the next step. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water separately.
- While the pasta is cooking, take a new larger clean skillet (should be large enough to fit the entire dish later) over medium-low heat cook pancetta with black pepper to taste (no oil). In traditional carbonara chefs are not shy with adding lots of black pepper when frying bacon. Take half of the pancetta out on a side plate (for garnish).
- Use kitchen tongs to transfer the cooked pasta over to the skillet. Don't worry about draining it first - you'll want to keep a bit of that starchy cooking water to help bind everything together. If it's a little too thick, don't worry! Just add in a splash or two of that reserved pasta cooking water until you get the perfect consistency. Just be careful not to add too much! Give it all a good stir until the pasta is coated in that delicious sauce and all the flavors are melded together perfectly.
- Assemble. Stir in bell peppers and onions, and top with panko chicken and garlicky shrimp. Pile them high on top of the pasta, and don't be shy with that freshly chopped parsley and black pepper. This dish is all about the flavor and the presentation, so go ahead and make it look as beautiful as it tastes. Enjoy!
Notes
Once you place the pasta for cooking you have to do the next steps a little faster without breaks. Pasta will cook fast as we only need to cook it to ''al dente''. Once the pasta is cooked, it has to be mixed with the yolks and water right away. This way the pasta is fresh, creamy and not overcooked.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!