I’m hereby declaring this my favorite meal of the summer!

summer shrimp and charred corn pasta carbonara by @howsweeteats I howsweeteats.com

Except for garden-fresh tomatoes. And burrata. And anything that remotely resembles some version of caprese. And fresh, buttery lobster rolls.

But other than that, THIS is the meal of the summer!

summer shrimp and charred corn pasta carbonara by @howsweeteats I howsweeteats.com

Yes, it’s carbonara, but it’s totally light and delightful. You just need a small serving. It’s super satisfying and tastes INCREDIBLE. With a salad to start and an ice cream cone to finish, there is no other meal needed to get you through the end of August.

summer shrimp and charred corn pasta carbonara by @howsweeteats I howsweeteats.com

The shrimp? It’s cooked in a touch of the bacon fat. The charred corn is tossed along with those crunchy bacon pieces and ridiculously flavorful shrimp, mixed with whole wheat spaghetti and the parmesan + egg mixture.

It’s rich. It’s pretty! It’s embarrassingly easy to make on a weeknight too.

summer shrimp and charred corn pasta carbonara by @howsweeteats I howsweeteats.com

I love making carbonara in our house because even with just the bacon alone, Eddie considers it a full meal. I mean, that’s huge. The fact that there is no chicken or steak in traditional carbonara? And he still deems it acceptable? Big win. Yes, we are still talking about this in 2016. I live it every day.

Soooo – he obviously went super crazzzzy over this version with shrimp. Starting eating it straight out of the pan the moment he got home from work and all that jazz. We actually ended up having a huge fight about it, which is kind of hilarious now. Sort of. I made him sit down and eat dinner while listening to some Steve Tyrell and watching Max throw his shrimp all over the floor.

It was the most romantic ever.

summer shrimp and charred corn pasta carbonara by @howsweeteats I howsweeteats.com

Summer Shrimp and Sweet Corn Pasta Carbonara

5 from 6 votes
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Ingredients

  • 8 slices thick-cut bacon, chopped
  • 1/2 pound raw, peeled and deveined shrimp (I love to use the big “grilling shrimp”)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 3 ears sweet corn, grilled or roasted
  • 1 pound whole wheat spaghetti or thin noodle of your choice
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3 large eggs
  • 1 1/2 cups freshly grated parmesan cheese, plus extra for topping
  • 2 tablespoons freshly snipped chives
  • fresh basil and oregano for topping

Instructions 

  • Bring a large pot of water to a boil first for your pasta. While it’s heating, start the bacon.
  • Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook until totally crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove the bacon from the skillet with a slotted spoon. Carefully transfer all but about 1 tablespoon of bacon fat to a bowl and set it aside. Keep the skillet over medium heat.
  • Pat the shrimp completely dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle the shrimp with the salt and the pepper. Add it to the bacon fat and cook, tossing often, until the shrimp is pink and opaque, about 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
  • For the corn, you can either grill or roast it, use leftover corn, or prepare it the day before. You don’t need to char it if you don’t have time, either! To grill, I heat my grill on the highest heat and once hot, place the corn on direct heat, tossing often, for a few minutes until charred. To roast, I heat the oven to 425 degrees F and toss the corn occasionally on a baking sheet for about 20 minutes or so. Slice the corn from the cobs once finished.
  • (As a note, keep an eye on your pasta water and begin cooking it soon.) Whisk together the eggs and grated parmesan.
  • Add the bacon fat back to the skillet. Heat the skillet over low heat. Add the garlic cloves and stir, cooking for a minute or so. Add the spaghetti to the skillet and toss it well in the bacon fat. Remove the skillet from the heat. Pour in the egg/parmesan mixture and stir and toss quickly and constantly to create a creamy sauce, tossing for 3 to 4 minutes or so. Add in the bacon, shrimp and corn. Sprinkle with chives, basil and fresh oregano. Sprinkle with extra parmesan too. Serve!
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summer shrimp and charred corn pasta carbonara by @howsweeteats I howsweeteats.com

I would sell my soul for that bowl.