Easy Creamy Mushroom Carbonara Recipe with Bacon

A bowl of mushroom carbonara topped with bacon and garnished with chopped parsley.

5 from 2 votes

Easy Creamy Mushroom Carbonara Recipe with Bacon

The mere mention of the title of this recipe for Easy Creamy Mushroom Carbonara with Bacon should send your taste buds into a frenzy and your senses into a state of pure culinary bliss.

Prep Time10

Cook Time10

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 460kcal

Author: Sharon Rigsby

Equipment

12-inch non-stick skillet

Ingredients

2 cups grated Parmesan cheese
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
12 ounces spaghetti
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup pasta water, reserved
10 slices cooked bacon, crumbled
16 ounces sliced baby bella mushrooms
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Instructions

Add the Parmesan cheese, eggs, and ground black pepper to a medium bowl. Mix this egg mixture until combined. Set aside.
Boil the pasta in a large pot of salted water for 10 minutes or until it is al dente. While the pasta is cooking, go to the next step to prepare the mushroom mixture.
Add the mushrooms, garlic, and butter to a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Cook for 7-10 minutes or until the mushrooms have softened and are golden brown; stir occasionally.
When the pasta is done, reserve one cup of the starchy pasta water, drain the pasta, and add the cooked pasta and bacon to the skillet. Optionally, you can use a slotted spoon or tongs to remove the pasta and add it directly to the mushroom mixture in the skillet. Toss until everything is combined.
Remove the skillet from the heat, and immediately add the egg and cheese mixture. Toss with tongs until everything is combined and the cheese has melted.
Add the pasta water, about a quarter of a cup at a time, and combine. The amount you will need to add will vary; you just want to make sure that the sauce is creamy and loose enough to coat the pasta evenly.
Top with fresh parsley and serve immediately.

Notes

Prepare the parmesan and egg mixture before making the rest of the recipe to allow the eggs to come to room temperature before adding them to the pasta.

Your pasta should be cooked al dente, which means it should be tender but still have a slight bite to it. Overcooked pasta will be mushy and will not absorb the sauce as well.

Be sure you have all of your ingredients prepped and ready because this recipe comes together quickly, and the timing is important.

The only tricky thing about this easy recipe is getting the timing right when the egg and cheese mixture is added to the pasta. The pasta has to be hot when the egg and cheese mixture is added because the residual heat cooks the eggs.

However, a skillet that is too hot will scramble the eggs, so make sure to remove the skillet from the heat after adding the pasta, but before you add the egg mixture, or the pan will be too hot, and the eggs will scramble.

Don't forget to reserve about a cup of pasta water, and don't be afraid to use it to help make a creamy pasta sauce.

An easy way to grate a hard cheese like Parmesan is to use the grating attachment for your food processor.

Nutrition