Shrimp Carbonara

Ingredients

2 servings spaghetti reserve the cooking water
2 egg yolks
½ cup shredded Pecorino cheese or Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoon butter or olive oil
1 garlic clove minced
½ lb jumbo shrimp peeled, raw or pre-cooked
¼ cup pasta cooking water + more if needed

Directions

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.

In a small bowl, combine egg yolks, shredded Pecorino cheese and black pepper. Mix well to create a paste.

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat, then add minced garlic and sauté 30 seconds without browning.

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).

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.

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.