30 minute Creamy Mushroom Carbonara

This quick and easy Mushroom Carbonara recipe features rich creamy pasta tossed with mushrooms and fresh parsley. What’s even better is that it’s ready in less than 30 minutes! Serve with a side salad to complete the meal.

Love homemade Italian food? Then you’ve got to try my Authentic Italian Meatballs and my Chicken Puttanesca!

Homemade Mushroom Carbonara

If I had to choose one thing I loved most about this mushroom carbonara recipe, it would have to be that it’s so easy to make! Even though it’s made with just a few ingredients, it’s packed with flavor from the rich sauce, sauteed mushrooms, and pasta noodles.

Classic carbonara is made with egg, pasta, starchy water and some sort of salty pork either bacon, pancetta, or guanciale. Guanciale is prepared from pork jowl or cheeks, rubbed in spices, and then cured. The cured meat got its name from guancia, which mean cheek or pillow in Italian.

While classic carbonara is delicious, I set out on a way to make it even easier and meat-free. And I have to say that I’m thoroughly impressed with this vegetarian version. The mushrooms offer an earthy, almost meaty flavor that’s enhanced by the garlic, egg yolks, and parsley, making it a great alternative to cured pork. Plus, the fact that it comes together in 30 minutes or less makes this perfect for your family table!

Key Ingredients

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil: The base for any Italian meal. You can also use avocado oil, but avoid butter.
• Mushrooms: I like using baby bellas, buttons, or cremini mushrooms. Whichever type you use, make sure to slice them thin.
• Garlic: I used four cloves total, but you could use as many as six if you’re a garlic lover. (I won’t judge!)
• Spaghetti: This is the best pasta for carbonara, in my opinion, but any long pasta like fettuccine, linguini, or bucatini would work, too.
• Parmesan Cheese: Freshly grated is best, if you can get it! It melts the smoothest, but packaged is fine, too.
• Reserved Pasta Water: Don’t pour out your pasta water before saving some for the sauce! This dish gets its creaminess from the starchy pasta water, egg yolks, and parmesan cheese.
• Egg Yolks: Save the whites for your morning omelette and toss your carbonara in just the yolks. This makes the dish super creamy, rich, and velvety.
• Fresh Parsley: This dish is decadent, so it needs a bite of something fresh. Parsley is the perfect garnish for just that reason!
• Crushed Red Pepper Flakes: These brighten up the carbonara sauce without making it too spicy.

How To Make Mushroom Carbonara

1. Prepare your pasta by boiling it in some heavily salted water until al dente. Save half of a cup, at least, to use in the sauce. Drain remaining pasta and set aside.
2. In a medium saucepan, sauté the sliced mushrooms in olive oil until tender and browned 3 minutes. Add the garlic, cook for one minute, then remove from heat.
3. In a small, separate bowl, whisk together the parmesan cheese and egg yolks.
4. Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with the mushrooms and garlic, and toss to combine. Then, pour in the egg and cheese mixture, along with 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Slowly toss the pasta with the sauce until the noodles are well-coated. Add the chopped fresh parsley, salt, and pepper, and toss again.
5. Serve each bowl with crushed red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil for serving. Enjoy!

What To Serve with Mushroom Carbonara

• Grilled BLT Wedge Salad
• Chicken Parmesan
• Grilled Chicken Caprese
• Berry Spinach Salad
• Strawberry Spinach Salad
• Italian Ham and Bean Orzo Soup
• The BEST Dinner Rolls
• One-Hour Focaccia Bread

More Pasta Recipes To Try