Creamy Mushroom Carbonara
Get ready for some serious comfort food! This Creamy Mushroom Carbonara features thick spaghetti coated in a creamy sauce with plenty of sauteed mushrooms.
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There’s nothing like a good move to help clear out unwanted stuff. It was almost a year ago now that Laura and I decided to move, and we spent a solid 3-4 days throwing stuff out and/or donating it to Goodwill. The move was still a beast, but it was a little bit easier thanks to that purge. However, there were some things we just couldn’t get rid of. We each have a box of childhood keepsakes, and Laura’s got her box of ice skates down in the basement. Mind you, Laura can’t really ice skate, but at least we have those ice skates in case she decides to take up a new hobby.
One of the other things I couldn’t part with was our DVD collection. Now I know everything is going digital and steaming and whatnot, but we just had too many good DVDs to let them all go into the dumpster. However, I did decide to compromise and consolidate all of the discs into 2 large binders that I ordered from Amazon. I went through and cut the covers down to squares and then organized all of the DVDs. They take up a lot less space now, but we still have all of our old favorites.
However, as I was going through those DVDs, you’ll never believe what I found. No, it wasn’t more cash (that would’ve been cool). It was an old Blockbuster case cover. I used to do this online survey thing to earn points, and we’d cash those points in for free used Blockbuster DVDs. It got to where we wouldn’t rent movies anymore. We’d just hit up the used section and “buy” the DVDs with our coupons. There was an even an advertisement stuck in one of the cases saying “Blockbuster Express is better than Netflix!” Hmmm…I think history might prove differently now.
Creamy Mushroom Carbonara
Creamy Mushroom CarbonaraSo the other night, Laura and I pulled out our DVD binder and found an old favorite. Then we curled up on the couch (after Robbie went to bed) with a bowl of this Creamy Mushroom Carbonara. It was awesome!
Have you ever made classic Spaghetti Carbonara? It’s definitely a favorite around here, and we’ve made it a number of times for company. However, I decided to put a spin on this by adding in sauteed mushrooms instead of pancetta. (In hindsight, I should’ve left the pancetta in this recipe…it would’ve been delicious!) The umami of the mushrooms plus the creaminess of the pasta paired quite well together. In fact, this Creamy Mushroom Carbonara raced right up our list of comfort food!
One of the unique things about making carbonara at home is the fact that the eggs cook indirectly. You don’t want to add the eggs in while the dish is on the stove or you might end up with scrambled eggs. Instead, the egg mixture is mixed in with the hot pasta which indirectly cooks the eggs. The result is a creamy and delicious ‘sauce’ coating the pasta. I seriously could eat carbonara at least once a week!
One little tip for the indirect cooking is to pour the hot pasta water into a large bowl. You’ll need to reserve a bit of the pasta water for cooking, but the rest of it can be used to heat up the mixing bowl. That way the bowl is hot and the pasta is hot. Stir in the egg mixture for about a minute or so, and you’re all set. Divide the pasta into bowls, and then get ready for some serious comfort food with this Creamy Mushroom Carbonara! It makes for a great meal while you’re curled up on the couch watching old DVDs. Cheers, friends!
Did you make this Creamy Mushroom Carbonara at home? Leave a comment. Or snap a photo and tag me on Instagram (@Spicedblog)!
Looking for more tasty pasta recipes? Check out these other favorites, too:
Spaghetti Carbonara
Cacio e Pepe
Shrimp Gremolata Linguine
Spaghetti all’Amatriciana
Creamy Mushroom Carbonara
Ingredients
- 2 large eggs
- 2 large egg yolks
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
- ¼ cup Pecorino Romano cheese grated
- 1 tsp black pepper plus more for serving
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 Tbsp unsalted butter
- 1½ pounds button mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup finely diced onions
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- 1½ tsp kosher salt
- 16 ounces thick spaghetti
- 1 cup chopped Italian parsley
Instructions
- Using a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, egg yolks, Parmesan, Pecorino and pepper; set aside. (Tip: Do this first to allow egg mixture to come to room temperature before using it later in the recipe.)
- Place a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat and add olive and butter. Once butter has melted, add mushrooms. Cook for 13-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until mushrooms are golden brown.
- Reduce heat to medium-low; add onions, garlic and salt. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for 3-4 minutes, or until onions have begun to soften. (If necessary, reduce heat to low to keep mushroom mixture warm until pasta is ready.)
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted water for 2 minutes less than package instructions. Reserve 2 cups of the pasta water; drain rest of pasta water into a large serving bowl. (See note below)
- Transfer cooked pasta along with 1½ cups of the reserved pasta water into skillet with the mushrooms. (If heat was reduced, increase heat back to medium-low.)
- Continue cooking for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Pour water out of the large serving bowl. Transfer pasta and mushrooms into the bowl; stir in the egg mixture and chopped parsley. Stir constantly until eggs begin to thicken and coat the pasta. (The heat from the pasta and bowl will indirectly cook the eggs. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water. I typically add ~¼ cup of additional pasta water at this point.)
- Top liberally with freshly ground black pepper and additional Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
Notes
Mmmmmmm. I don’t know if I’d prefer this over the original, but I know I’d enjoy it equally. There’s just something wonderful about mushrooms and cream. And pasta.
I’m right there with ya, Mimi. The original version with pancetta is SO good, but there is something wonderful about mushrooms and creamy pasta. I’m thinking next time it’s gonna be both mushrooms AND pancetta. Think how good that would be! 🙂
Loving this mushroom carbonara, David!! Putting it on next week’s menu. (Love that it’s easy enough for a busy weeknight!)
Did you know that the last Blockbuster is in Bend, Oregon? (where I live) It’s caused quite the stir: made national news, had a local beer named after it, and Ron Howard even paid it a visit last month!
Wait. There’s still a Blockbuster open? I thought they were totally out of business now. Interesting! I still have my Blockbuster card…do you think I can use it there?? 🙂
Also, definitely put this mushroom carbonara on the list. It’s delicious!!
Lovely idea! I am loving mushrooms more and more in pasta dishes! (being super spoilt with fresh porcini at the moment..) I love the sound of this twist on the classic carbonara!
Oh I’m sure you’ve been spoiled when it comes to pasta, Alex. I love all of your Italian dishes that you’ve been featuring on Instagram lately. I learned about carbonara on a trip to Italy, and now I’ve gotta say that the twist with mushrooms is quite delicious. I hope you give this one a shot when you get back home!
Hi David! This looks delicious! I think you should have left the pancetta in, just because I like all things pork! I like thick spagetti better than thin, it has a better chew factor. Lovely dish my friend! Stay cozy and have a great weekend!
Yup, I agree with you, Dorothy. The pancetta should’ve stayed in this one. Next time I’m using both mushrooms and pancetta! And for me, the sauce dictates what pasta to use. I like thick pasta for carbonara, but I tend to go thin when it comes to simple pasta dishes like the bang bang shrimp pasta I posted recently. Call me weird like that!
I totally remember growing up, walking up to the Blockbuster to rent a movie. It’s been so long since that was around! A homemade carbonara is such a brilliant comfort food, and I can see how the mushrooms would make it nice and rich. Also, I agree, leave the pancetta in!
Tell me about it! Plus, the ad in there saying “Blockbuster Online is better than Netflix” just made me laugh.
This mushroom carbonara was absolutely delicious, but I agree that next time I’m leaving the pancetta in. The combination will take this recipe to a whole new level I think!
I’ve never made carbonara, but I’m going to now! This looks so delicious and full of comfort. BTW….I still have some old VHS movies. Time to clean those babies out of the basement!
Ok. Stop everything, Kathy. Put carbonara on your menu for this week. Seriously! And you have fresh farm eggs which will make that carbonara even better!
Also, I actually have a couple VHS movies left, too. They’re videos from when I went to summer camp as a boy. I should get those converted over to DVD sometime, huh?
This mushroom carbonara sounds wonderful. I love the mushrooms that you have it. We still have some DVDs too.
I’ve gotta say that this mushroom carbonara was quite tasty, Dawn. I love mushrooms in a creamy pasta!
That’s a nice twist on Carbonara by adding in delicious sauteed mushrooms instead of pancetta. Mushrooms are always delicious in a pasta, I think it’s their delicious earthy flavour and juices that mingle so well with the pasta!
I totally agree with you about mushrooms in a creamy pasta, Neil. However, I have to say that next time I’m going to use both mushrooms and pancetta. There’s no reason to choose one over the other! In this case, both would make for one heck of a tasty meal!
I’m a huge classic carbonara fan, but I’m also partial to the vegetarian versions. I do one with zucchini in the summer. And this mushroom version looks fabulous for the fall. Will have to give it a go very soon!
Zucchini carbonara? Interesting! Now there’s a fun way to use zucchini when we’re in zucchini overload season. Now that we’re into the chilly Fall nights, I have to say that this mushroom version is worth putting on the menu. Although, as others pointed out above, a little bit of pancetta in this recipe wouldn’t be a bad thing at all! Thanks, Frank!!
I remember the “lets go rent a movie at Blockbuster” nights! Good times!
Your Creamy Mushroom Carbonara looks so comforting and delicious. Love the trick for warming up the bowl, too. So smart. 🙂 ~Valentina
You know, in a strange way I kinda miss the excitement of walking into a Blockbuster and wandering the aisles looking for a movie. Sure, Netflix is way easier, but there’s something to be said for actually being there picking up a movie. Either way, this mushroom carbonara would be good for any kind of movie night. Thanks, Valentina! 🙂
There’s certainly something refreshing about cleaning or ‘gutting’….isn’t it? It’s almost like ya need to do that every so often! Too funny about the Blockbuster cover. There was always something special about going to Blockbuster, though. The whole process of going in and picking out a movie for the weekend and the chance that your favourite may not be available.Maybe grab a snack too. Oh, memories. Anywho, this mushroom carbonara is right up hubby and my alley. We seriously LOVE mushrooms in our home so we would absolutely devour a huge portion of this deliciousness! Hope your week is going great so far :)!!
Yes! I actually enjoyed cleaning up all of those old DVD’s. On one hand, I was like I can’t believe I’m cutting up all of these covers…but on the other hand, it takes up so much less space now! I’m totally with ya on the Blockbuster experience. It was exciting to walk into the store and wander the aisles until you found something fun. Netflix might be easier, but there is something to be said for the physical side of picking up an actual movie. Either way, this mushroom carbonara would be great for a movie night on the couch…with a glass of wine of course! 🙂
Creamy pasta is definitely my idea of the ultimate comfort food!
Oh Blockbuster.. I remember the days of heading over there on a Saturday night to browse movies. It wasn’t as convenient as what we have now, but I think it was more fun and made movie night more of an event!
I’m with ya that driving to Blockbuster isn’t as convenient as we have it now…but there was still something magical and exciting about going in there as kids. Oh well. Technology wins. 🙂
Thanks so much, Nicole! I hope you are doing well!