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!
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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!
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
- 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.
- 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.
- In a small, separate bowl, whisk together the parmesan cheese and egg yolks.
- 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.
- 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
- Chicken Parmesan
- 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
30 minute Creamy Mushroom Carbonara
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced thin, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 8 ounces spaghetti
- 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/2 cup starchy pasta water
- 2 egg yolks
- 2 tbsp fresh parsley
- salt and pepper
- crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Begin by boiling pasta in salted water until al-dente per package instructions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest of the pasta.
- Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan heat olive oil and sauté mushrooms until tender and browned 3 minutes. Add in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Take off the heat.
- Add egg yolks and parmesan cheese to a small bowl and whisk to combine.
- Add the pasta to the skillet with the mushrooms and garlic mixture. Add in the egg / cheese mixture and 1/4 cup of the pasta water. Slowly toss the pasta until the pasta is coated. Add more pasta water if needed. Add in fresh parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve each bowl with crushed red pepper flakes, parmesan cheese, and a drizzle of olive oil for serving!
Nutrition Information
Did you make this?
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Dave Buch
That may be the worst directions for a recipe ever… or maybe just the most unclear. Step by step… not everyone is a “classically trained chef” just saying.
Nathan
Hi Dave,
I’ll try to break the instructions down for you so it’s easier to understand.
1. boil pasta in salted water until almost tender.
2. In separate pot, cook mushrooms in olive oil for about 3 minutes or till they are tender and have a little crispy brown on the edges.
3. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. 4. Scrape mushrooms and garlic onto a plate and set it aside to cool.
5. Save 1/4 cup of the pasta water.
6. Strain out pasta and put it back into pot, add mushrooms and garlic back in.
7. Add egg yolks one at a time stirring slowly.
8.Add the hot water, heavy cream and Parmesan and stir until combined and thickened.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
I hope you found that clear.
Thank you.
Nathan
Kathy
Lots of umami flavor even though it’s meat-free. Great for a quick summer meal or cookout side!
Kelley Simmons
Thank you Kathy!!
Sharon Dominguez
Loved it, although I suggest using the criminal mushrooms called for here. I had no crimini in the house, but I had shitaki. I cook lots of Asian dishes, but they were way too overpowering for the lightness of this sauce, , adding an unpleasant, bitter taste. lol! I picked them out and enjoyed the (tofu) noodles and that yummy, easy to make sauce anyway. Thanks for a great recipe!
Kelley Simmons
So glad you enjoyed this recipe Sharon! Thanks so much for sharing!
Chris
I found the instructions to be clear. Dave can “just say” whatever he likes. But, unfortunately has no bearing on reality. Thank you for this delicious recipe
Lisa
Was easy to make but a little time consuming. After all was said and done we loved it.