Mushroom Carbonara Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 02/10/23
mushroom carbonara

The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 2 bowls
Yield: 1 pound

Mushroom carbonara is a delicious vegetarian alternative to the classic carbonara, which is traditionally made with pancetta or bacon. The mushrooms are sauteed until brown and crispy, then garlic, Pecorino Romano cheese, and egg yolks are added to finish the sauce. There’s no cream in this bowl thanks to the starchy pasta water that helps create a luscious sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 pound spaghetti

  • 1 pound baby bella mushrooms

  • 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for pasta water

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/3 cup grated Pecorino-Romano cheese

  • 2 large egg yolks

  • Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather your ingredients.

    mushroom carbonara ingredients

  2. Bring a large pot of water to a boul, then add a generous amount of salt. Add the pasta and cook until it is al dente. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.

    cooking pasta water

  3. Meanwhile, cut the baby bella mushrooms into bacon lardon-sized pieces. Toss the mushrooms with salt.

    chopped mushrooms

  4. Heat a large saute pan over high. Add the butter and cook until melted. 

    Add the mushrooms in one even layer. Cook over high heat, without disturbing, until they are golden brown on the bottom, about 3 to 5 minutes. Stir the mushrooms and continue to cook until golden brown all over.

    mushrooms sauteed in a pan

  5. Once they are browned, add the garlic and reduce the heat to low. Saute for 1 more minute or until fragrant.

    sauteed mushrooms and garlic

  6. Whisk together the Pecorino Romano and egg yolks in a small bowl. Stir in a few cracks of ground black pepper

    egg yolks beaten with pecorino cheese

  7. Add the pasta to the pan with mushrooms and toss to combine. Turn off the heat.

    spaghetti tossed with mushrooms

  8. Add the egg mixture to the pasta and toss.

    pasta tossed with egg and cheese

  9. Slowly toss in the 1/4 cup hot pasta water at a time. Toss the pasta as you are adding the water until it all comes together as a sauce coating the pasta. You will use about 1/2 cup, but maybe more depending on your sauce preference. (Make sure the water is hot when you add it. You can microwave it if it has cooled down too much.)

    mushroom carbonara

  10. Serve immediately with more grated cheese, if desired. Enjoy!

    mushroom carbonara

    The Spruce Eats / Leah Maroney

Recipe Tips

  • Whisking the egg yolks with the Parmesan cheese before adding to the pasta helps to evenly distribute the egg and cheese. Don’t skip this step.
  • You must turn off the heat when adding the egg yolks and hot pasta water otherwise the eggs will scramble instead of creating a creamy sauce due to the high heat. 


Recipe Variations

  • Carbonara is traditionally served with spaghetti, however you can serve it with any kind of pasta you like. Typically longer pastas are used and help with twirling the mushrooms (or pork in traditional carbonara) and the eggs are able to cook correctly over the long thin noodles since it has a good ratio of surface area to volume. But you can also use a short pasta if that’s what you have on hand.
  • Classic carbonara uses Pecorino Romano because of its sharp taste and it is native to Rome where this dish originated. However, you can also substitute Parmesan.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
493 Calories
24g Fat
49g Carbs
23g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories 493
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 24g 31%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Cholesterol 322mg 107%
Sodium 1439mg 63%
Total Carbohydrate 49g 18%
Dietary Fiber 7g 24%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 10mg 52%
Calcium 218mg 17%
Iron 7mg 38%
Potassium 1025mg 22%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)