Ingredients:

  • 10 oz chicken breast, thinly sliced into bite-sized strips
  • 12 oz large shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
  • 4 thick-cut slices bacon (approx. 150g), diced
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 0.5 tsp smoked paprika
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.25 tsp cracked black pepper
  • 1 lb spaghetti or bucatini pasta
  • 1.5 cups heavy cream
  • 2 large whole eggs
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 0.5 cup roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips
  • 0.5 cup reserved pasta water
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp unsalted butter

Instructions:

  1. Boil the pasta. Cook the spaghetti in salted water until just shy of al dente. Note: It will finish cooking in the sauce later.
  2. Fry the diced bacon in your skillet until mahogany and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon but keep the fat in the pan.
  3. Season the proteins. Toss the chicken and shrimp with garlic powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper.
  4. Sear the chicken. Cook the chicken strips in the bacon fat until golden on all sides. Move them to a plate.
  5. Sauté the shrimp. In the same pan, cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes until pink and opaque. Remove and set aside.
  6. Whisk the base. In a bowl, combine eggs, egg yolk, heavy cream, and Parmesan. Whisk until completely smooth and pale yellow.
  7. Sauté aromatics. Melt the butter in the skillet, then add minced garlic and roasted peppers. Cook until fragrant and softened.
  8. Combine the pasta. Add the cooked pasta directly to the skillet with a splash of pasta water. Toss to coat in the garlic butter.
  9. The big emulsion. Turn off the heat completely. Pour the egg and cream mixture over the pasta, tossing constantly until the sauce thickens into a velvety glaze.
  10. Final marriage. Fold the chicken, shrimp, and bacon back in. Add more pasta water if the sauce looks too tight. Garnish with parsley and serve immediately.