Emily Carter
Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara is a delicious and hearty meal that combines crispy chicken tenders, juicy shrimp, and al dente pasta tossed in a rich Parmesan cream sauce. The dish is an Italian classic, made more indulgent with the addition of bacon and roasted red peppers. This recipe is perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner or a special occasion and can be easily adapted with different proteins and vegetables to suit personal preferences. The key to its success lies in the creamy carbonara sauce, which uses heavy cream and egg yolks to create a savory coating for the pasta, resulting in an elegant and satisfying meal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Dish | Main Course |
| Cuisine | Italian |
| Main Ingredients | Chicken, Shrimp, Pasta |
| Other Ingredients | Bacon, Red Peppers, Garlic, Onions, Butter, Cheese, Flour, Eggs, Olive Oil, Italian Seasoning, Salt, Pepper, Parsley |
| Type of Pasta | Bucatini, Spaghetti, Linguine, or other |
| Toppings | Parmesan Cheese, Mozzarella Cheese, Italian Panko Bread Crumbs |
| Leftovers | Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days |
| Reheating | Oven at 350 degrees F for 10-15 minutes, Microwave for 2-3 minutes, or Stovetop |
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What You'll Learn
Chicken tenders and shrimp
Chicken tenders are a key ingredient in Olive Garden's Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara. They provide a tender, quick-cooking protein that's easy to bread and stays moist while cooking. The breaded chicken tenders also add a crispy texture to the dish, contrasting with the tender shrimp.
To prepare the chicken tenders, you can follow these steps:
- Combine flour, panko bread crumbs, salt, and pepper in a bowl and mix well.
- In a separate bowl, whisk an egg with a small amount of water until well blended.
- Dip the chicken tenders into the dry breading mixture, then into the egg wash, and finally back into the dry mixture.
- Let the breaded chicken rest on a wire rack for about 5 minutes before cooking.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
- Add the chicken tenders and cook for approximately 5-7 minutes on each side, or until they are browned and cooked through.
The shrimp in the Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara are large shrimp, providing a sweet seafood flavor and tender texture. They are quick and easy to prepare, requiring only a few minutes of cooking time in boiling water until they turn pink.
The combination of chicken tenders and shrimp in this dish offers a unique twist on the classic Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara, providing a variety of textures and flavors that come together beautifully.
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Marinade
The marinade for the Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara is a simple yet flavourful combination of extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, cracked peppercorns, and salt. These ingredients are whisked together in a small mixing bowl, creating a flavourful bath for the chicken and shrimp to soak up.
The chicken tenders and shrimp are the stars of this dish, and they deserve a marinade that enhances their natural sweetness and tenderness. Extra virgin olive oil is the base of the marinade, providing a smooth and fruity canvas for the other ingredients to shine. Fresh garlic adds a pungent kick, while Italian seasoning brings a medley of herbs like basil, oregano, and thyme, infusing the protein with the flavours of the Mediterranean. Cracked peppercorns offer a subtle bite, and salt, the king of seasonings, enhances the natural flavours of the chicken and shrimp.
To prepare the marinade, simply whisk together the ingredients in a small mixing bowl until well combined. The chicken tenders and shrimp are then added to a large food storage bag, and the marinade is poured over them. The bag is sealed, and the protein is left to bathe in the marinade, tucked away in the fridge for at least four hours. This lengthy soak ensures that the chicken and shrimp absorb the flavours, resulting in a juicy and flavourful bite.
The marinade plays a crucial role in this dish, as it not only imparts flavour but also helps to keep the protein moist during cooking. The olive oil acts as a barrier, sealing in the natural juices of the chicken and shrimp, while the garlic and Italian seasoning penetrate the meat, ensuring that every bite is a flavour explosion. This marinade is a key component in the Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara, taking the dish to the next level and keeping diners coming back for more.
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Pasta
Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara is a hearty, creamy pasta dish. It is a twist on the classic Italian pasta Carbonara, with the addition of chicken tenders and shrimp. The pasta used is typically bucatini, spaghetti, or linguine, but other shapes such as angel hair, fettuccine, rotini, penne, or farfalle can also be used. These long pasta shapes hold the sauce well, and in the case of bucatini, its hollow centre allows the sauce to coat both the inside and outside.
The pasta is tossed in a rich, savoury, creamy carbonara sauce. This sauce is typically made with butter, flour, crushed garlic, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and egg yolks. The eggs are a key part of an authentic carbonara, but Olive Garden's version does not include them. The sauce is prepared by melting butter in a skillet over medium heat, adding garlic and red bell pepper, and then pouring in heavy cream. The sauce is seasoned with salt and pepper.
The chicken tenders are breaded and fried, providing a tender, quick-cooking protein that is easy to bread and stays moist while cooking. The breading process involves dipping the tenders in flour, then egg wash, and finally, panko breadcrumbs. The flour helps the egg wash stick, and the panko provides a lighter, crispier coating. The chicken is cooked in a skillet for 5-7 minutes on each side, or until browned and cooked through.
The shrimp used are large, providing a sweet seafood flavour and tender texture that contrasts with the crispy chicken. They are cooked separately from the chicken, in a small pot of boiling water for 2-3 minutes, or until they turn pink.
Once the sauce, chicken, and shrimp are prepared, they are combined in a skillet with bacon and tossed with the cooked pasta. The dish is then topped with more parmesan cheese and served warm.
This dish is perfect for a comforting weeknight dinner, potluck, or special occasion, and it can be stored as leftovers for up to 3-4 days.
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Vegetables
Red bell peppers, also known as red capsicums, are a staple in this dish. They are sautéed or cooked alongside the garlic, onions, and bacon to form the flavour base of the carbonara sauce. The peppers contribute a subtle sweetness and a hint of spice, enhancing the savoury notes of the other ingredients.
Fresh parsley is another key vegetable component. Parsley is a versatile herb that can be chopped and sprinkled over the carbonara just before serving. It adds a burst of freshness and a lively, bright green colour to the dish. Parsley is known for its ability to complement other flavours without overpowering them, making it an ideal finishing touch.
For those who want to venture beyond the traditional ingredients, there is a plethora of options to consider. Sliced sautéed mushrooms lend a meaty texture and a savoury flavour to the dish, while steamed broccoli florets add a crunchy bite and a boost of nutrients. Grilled zucchini slices offer a summery twist, providing a charred flavour and a softer texture.
Additionally, you can experiment with other vegetables like spinach, stuffed mushrooms, or even a Caprese salad on the side. The beauty of this dish lies in its adaptability, allowing home cooks to tailor the vegetable content to suit their tastes and dietary preferences.
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Sauce
Olive Garden's Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara features a rich and creamy carbonara sauce. The sauce is made with butter, heavy cream, egg yolks, garlic, onions, bacon, and Parmesan cheese.
To make the sauce, butter and bacon are cooked in a skillet over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, garlic and red bell pepper are added. The heavy cream and egg yolks are then added to create a rich and creamy carbonara sauce. It is important to whisk continuously when adding the eggs to avoid scrambling them and creating a lumpy sauce.
The sauce is then tossed with the chicken, shrimp, and pasta. The final dish is topped with more Parmesan cheese and garnished with fresh parsley.
The carbonara sauce is a key component of this dish, providing a creamy and savoury flavour that coats the pasta and protein. The sauce is also what differentiates this dish from a similar recipe, the Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Alfredo, which uses a white sauce made from butter, parsley, heavy cream, and minced garlic.
While a traditional carbonara sauce includes eggs, Olive Garden's version of the dish does not. However, the copycat recipe includes eggs to achieve a rich and silky texture.
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Frequently asked questions
It's a dish made up of sautéed seasoned chicken, shrimp, and bucatini pasta tossed in a creamy carbonara sauce with bacon and roasted red peppers.
The sauce is made using heavy cream, egg yolks, butter, garlic, onions, and parmesan cheese.
Bucatini pasta is used, but you can also use spaghetti or linguine.
The protein in the dish is chicken tenders and shrimp.
It takes less than 30 minutes to make this dish.
