Mushroom Carbonara
A classic carbonara gets an upgrade with meaty mushrooms! This mushroom carbonara has pancetta, baby bella mushrooms, and Parmesan cheese, all tossed together in a velvety sauce. It’s a decadent and delicious dinner when you want to treat yourself.
I love a carbonara because it’s an easy pasta to make when you’re craving something comforting and cozy. This version is more dressed-up than traditional carbonara and looks a little fancyish, like something you might order at an Italian restaurant. But we get to make it at home instead of going out, and I gotta say… I love that for you.
If you’ve never made carbonara, you should know it’s a fun dish to make. The sauce is incredibly simple – just eggs and Parmesan cheese. The magic happens when you toss them with hot pasta. The heat from the pasta gently cooks the eggs and melts the cheese, creating a velvety, creamy sauce. It’s so, so good. Some pancetta and mushrooms take it to another delicious level.
It’s a pretty decadent dish, so a little goes a long way. The recipe serves four with garlic bread and salad on the side, making it a complete meal. But, if you’re feeling extra, make it for two and treat yourself.
Ingredients
- Pasta: I like thick spaghetti for this recipe, but any long pasta shape will work, so pick your favorite.
- Pancetta: Look for diced pancetta near the deli or specialty meat items at the grocery store. You can use the same amount of bacon if you can’t find it. Just cut the strips into bite-sized pieces.
- Mushrooms: I like baby bella mushrooms, but any meaty mushroom will work, so feel free to experiment. You will need one pound of mushrooms. It seems like a lot, but they will cook down quite a bit.
- Garlic
- Large eggs
- Parmesan cheese: I highly recommend freshly grated cheese for the best flavor and consistency once it’s melted.
- Garnishes: Chopped parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, ground black pepper
How to Make It
☑️ Boil the Pasta and Make the Sauce
Boil the pasta according to the package instructions. While it cooks, you can prepare the rest of the recipe.
Whisk the eggs and Parmesan cheese in a bowl. Set it aside.
☑️ Cook the Pancetta and Mushrooms
Cook the pancetta in a large pan over medium heat. Stir it as it cooks, and once it’s rendered fat and crisp around the edges, take it out of the pan. Leave the fat in the pan to cook the mushrooms.
Add the mushrooms and cook until they release moisture and are browned. This will take about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook it with the mushrooms for about a minute.
Add the cooked pancetta back to the pan.
☑️ Finish the Dish
Once the pasta is done, turn the heat off and transfer the pasta from the pot to the pan using tongs. Allow some of the pasta water to drain off of the pasta before adding it to the pan. Some of the water will transfer with it, which is what you want.
Add the egg mixture to the pan while stirring. Keep stirring and tossing the pasta with the egg mixture until the sauce thickens and coats the pasta. Spoon some starchy pasta water into the pan if it’s too dry.
☑️ Garnish
Sprinkle more Parmesan cheese over the top, along with some chopped parsley and black pepper. Serve the pasta right away.
More Mushroom Pasta Recipes
Mushroom Carbonara
Decadent mushroom carbonara is a cozy and comforting dinner. It’s an easy recipe made with just a handful of ingredients, but it looks and tastes like a fancy restaurant meal, especially if you add some bread and salad on the side.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients
- 8 ounces thick spaghetti
- 4 oz pancetta, diced (or, if you can’t find it, use the same amount of bacon)
- 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 large eggs
- 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Garnishes: Chopped parsley, grated Parmesan cheese, ground black pepper
Instructions
- Boil the pasta according to the package directions, approximately 11 to 12 minutes. While the pasta cooks, prepare the rest of the recipe.
- Whisk the eggs in a small mixing bowl with the grated cheese and then set the bowl aside.
- Cook the pancetta in a large pan over medium heat until it starts to crisp around the edges, about 5 minutes. Transfer the pancetta to a paper towel-lined plate. Keep the fat from the pancetta in the pan.
- Add the mushrooms to the same pan and cook them over medium heat until they release some moisture and are lightly brown, for about 8 to 10 minutes.
- Add the garlic to the cooked mushrooms and cook it for about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, add the pancetta to the pan, and give it all a good stir.
- Once the pasta is cooked, turn off the heat. Using tongs, lift some pasta out of the pot, allow some of the water to drain off, and transfer the pasta to the pan with the mushrooms. You want some starchy water to transfer with the pasta so the sauce comes together. Toss the pasta with the mushrooms.
- While stirring the mushroom pasta, slowly add the whisked egg and cheese mixture; slowly fold and toss the pasta while the egg-cheese mixture starts to warm.
- If the pasta looks too dry, add a little of the pasta water from the pot. The heat from the skillet and the cooked pasta will cook the egg mixture, creating a soft, creamy sauce once fully combined. You’ll know the sauce is done when it’s thickened, and the pasta is coated. It shouldn’t be runny.
- Serve the pasta immediately and garnish with Parmesan, black pepper, and chopped parsley.
Notes
You can use other long pasta shapes like linguine, fettuccine, or regular spaghetti. A short pasta shape like penne will work, too, but I think the sauce clings to a long pasta better.
Carbonara is best when you make it, but leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for a few days. The best way to reheat it is on the stove. Warm the pasta in a pan over medium heat. Add a few tablespoons of hot water to loosen the sauce, if needed.
Nutrition
- Calories: 494
- Sugar: 4.1g
- Sodium: 588.7mg
- Fat: 21.1g
- Saturated Fat: 8.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 11.1g
- Trans Fat: 0.1g
- Carbohydrates: 49.8g
- Fiber: 2.6g
- Protein: 26.3g
- Cholesterol: 172.4mg
The nutrition is an estimate only. It was calculated using Nutrifox, an online nutrition calculator.
More Favorite Pasta Dishes
I hope you try this mushroom carbonara recipe soon! If you love mushrooms, I think you’ll enjoy it.
Happy cooking,
I am a carbonara purist but I think the addition of baby bella mushrooms is a great idea!