Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara (2024)

You’ll be glad you stayed home with this Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara which is definitely better than the real deal!

THIS COPYCAT CARBONARA IS BETTER THAN OLIVE GARDEN’S

Sometimes choosing a restaurant that the whole family can agree upon is a struggle, so there are a lot of nights we have ended up at Olive Garden. Then one day I started to realize that we were all ordering the same Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara and I knew that I needed to find a way to bring this recipe home with us- and maybe make a few improvements too!

If you love this recipe then you’ll also love classic Pasta Carbonara and One Pot Alfredo Pasta.

OTHER RECIPES TO SERVE WITH CHICKEN & SHRIMP CARBONARA

• Italian Sausage and Gnocchi Soup – It’s not a copycat Olive Garden dinner without soup and breadsticks!
• Easy Peasey Pizza Dough Bread Sticks – These breadsticks are crazy easy to make and pair with any pasta or pizza dish!

INGREDIENTS

Protein: For this recipe, I use one pound of chicken tenderloins and one pound of peeled and deveined shrimp. You’ll also need some pancetta.

Marinade: Make sure to have extra virgin olive oil, fresh garlic, Italian seasoning, cracked peppercorns, and salt on hand for the marinade.

Pasta: I use classic spaghetti noodles, but you could use angel hair or fettuccine too.

Veggies: Add some red bell pepper to the mix and garnish with fresh parsley at the end if desired!

Sauce: You’ll also need salted butter, flour, crushed garlic, parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and egg yolks handy to make this creamy copycat sauce.

Topping: This carbonara recipe is baked with a delicious mix of parmesan romano cheese, mozzarella cheese, Italian panko bread crumbs, melted butter, and garlic powder on top.

HOW TO MAKE COPYCAT OLIVE GARDEN CARBONARA

STEP ONE: Start by combining the extra virgin olive oil, Italian seasoning, minced garlic, cracked peppercorns, and salt in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Pour the marinade into a ziplock bag and add the sliced chicken tenderloins and shrimp. Seal the bag and allow the protein to marinate in the fridge for 4 hours.

STEP TWO: Once the meat has marinated, cook the spaghetti until al dente in a large pot or salted boiling water. Then drain the pasta and set it aside. Next, pour the chicken, shrimp, and the marinade into a skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 7 minutes. After 7 minutes, remove the shrimp and add in the sliced red bell pepper. Cook the chicken and bell pepper mix for another 5 minutes.

STEP THREE: Continue by cooking the pancetta. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to a dutch oven over medium-high heat and add the pancetta for 5 minutes. Next, add the salted butter and allow it to melt. Lower the heat to medium-low and whisk in the flour.

STEP FOUR: Add the crushed garlic, grated parmesan cheese, heavy cream, and egg yolks. Whisk the sauce constantly for 5 minutes to prevent the eggs from scrambling. Once the sauce is done, add the cooked spaghetti and toss to coat the noodles.

STEP FIVE: Pour the pasta into an oven-safe casserole dish and top it with the cooked chicken, shrimp, and bell peppers. Preheat your oven’s broiler.

STEP SIX: In a small mixing bowl, combine the shredded parmesan romano cheese, shredded mozzarella, Italian seasoned panko bread crumbs, melted butter, and garlic powder. Spread this mixture over the top of the casserole dish before placing it in the oven under the broiler for 5-7 minutes. Garnish Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara with fresh parsley and enjoy!

TIPS FOR SUCCESS

• When adding the heavy cream and eggs to the sauce, make sure to whisk them the entire time to avoid scrambled eggs and lumpy carbonara sauce.
• Be careful not to overcook the spaghetti or the noodles may become very mushy in the casserole dish.

HOW TO STORE LEFTOVER CHICKEN AND SHRIMP CARBONARA

If you’re feeding the whole family, chances are you probably won’t have any leftovers. If you do, you’re in luck because this Copycat Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara recipe makes the best next-day meal! You can store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.

HOW TO REHEAT LEFTOVER COPYCAT OLIVE GARDEN CARBONARA

When you’re ready for round two of this delicious Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara, simply portion out your leftovers and reheat them, covered, in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 10-15 minutes or until the protein is adequately heated through. If you’d rather not wait, you can also microwave leftovers, covered, for 2-3 minutes. Just be sure to cover up the leftovers to keep them from drying out.

OTHER ITALIAN-INSPIRED RECIPES

• Copycat Carrabba’s Cavatappi Amatriciana
• Grilled Veggie Pesto Flatbread
• Italian Baked Penne Casserole
• Italian Pasta Salad
• Lasagna Roll Ups
• Chicken Piccata