Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Copy Cat Recipe

This recipe for Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara combines a fabulous blend of cheeses with roasted peppers, onions and cream to make a wonderful flavor combination.

Carbonara dishes are staples in most Italian recipes and one can see why when tasting the delightful flavor of the dish. 

Keep reading to find out how to make it.

The Olive Garden has a great range of Italian inspired dishes.  I especially like their chicken recipes. Their sauces seem to compliment their dishes beautifully.

I discovered the genuine Olive garden recipe for this dish on She Knows.

How to make Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara

But let’s face it, the dishes at the Olive Garden are loaded with fat and calories.  I’ve tried to lighten up the dish a bit and modified it slightly.

There is not a lot one can do when faced with cream, cheese and bacon as ingredients but I did try! The combination of chicken and shrimp is amazing! 

I deveined the shrimp first to make the dish more appealing visually.

I slimmed down the marinade.  I omitted the topping which saved some of the cheese calories as well as the carbs from the bread crumbs.

I also slimmed down the sauce quite a bit too. I’ve found that substituting skim milk for regular milk always works, especially when cream is also included.

I also found that one never needs the amount of sauces that a restaurant puts on their dishes. The flavor of sauces is very rich and a little goes a long way.

This at home version of the popular dish is sure to please your guests at a fraction of the cost and calories of eating out.

If you enjoyed this dish, be sure to check out my shrimp pasta with broccoli. It is light but very comforting.

Yield: 6

Olive Garden Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara Copy Cat Recipe

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This recipe for Chicken and Shrimp Carbonara combines a fabulous blend of cheeses with roasted peppers, onions and cream to make a wonderful flavor combination.

Prep Time 30 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Marinade for the chicken and shrimp

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp chopped garlic
• 3/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breast strips
• 3/4 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined

For the Sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• 3/4 tsp chopped garlic
• 1 Tbsp bacon bits
• 1 Tbsp flour (all purpose)
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
• 1/3 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cups skim milk

For the Chicken and shrimp

• marinated chicken and shrimp from step one above
• 1/4 cups roasted red peppers, cut into small strips
• 1/4 cups of roasted green pepper, cut into small strips
• 1 tbsp bacon bits
• 1/4 cup onion
• 6 cups Hot cooked rice

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Marinade the Chicken and Shrimp
3. Whisk extra virgin olive oil together with hot water, seasoning and chopped garlic.
4. Add the chicken strips and shrimp.
5. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
6. Make the Sauce:
7. Melt the butter in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and bacon bits.
8. Saute for 5 minutes, stirring often.
9. Add the flour, Parmesan cheese, heavy cream, milk, pepper and salt.
10. Combine these ingredients using a wire whisk.
11. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and allow the sauce to simmer..
12. Add the Chicken and Shrimp
13. Preheat large skillet. Add chicken to the pan. Add red and green peppers, onions, and bacon bits.
14. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until lightly browned on both sides. Add the shrimp and cook another 3 minutes
15. Add sauce (from above) Stir until well blended.
16. Place hot, cooked rice on a large serving platter. Top with chicken and shrimp and the sauce. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

6

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 539Total Fat: 19gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 197mgSodium: 741mgCarbohydrates: 52gFiber: 1gSugar: 3gProtein: 38g

Nutritional information is approximate due to natural variation in ingredients and the cook-at-home nature of our meals.

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