Quick and easy, this budget weeknight meal combines simple ingredients into a delicious, flavour-packed dinner. Omit the bacon for a vegetarian version.
This recipe is written for two but can easily be doubled or scaled to feed more people.
Easy Mushroom Carbonara
Enjoy a simple midweek meal that comes together in under 30 minutes. This creamy mushroom carbonara is rich, comforting and easy to adapt—add bacon if you want a non-vegetarian option or toss through some baby spinach for extra greens.
10 minutes
15 minutes
25 minutes
Ingredients
- A good handful of fettuccini
- 400 g button mushrooms, sliced
- 1–2 cloves garlic, crushed
- About 1 cup cream
- 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan (or to taste)
- 1 egg
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parsley (optional)
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packet directions until al dente. Reserve a small cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, heat a little oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook for about five minutes, until they are softened and beginning to brown.
- Add the crushed garlic to the mushrooms and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the cream and let it simmer for a minute or two to thicken slightly.
- Stir in the grated Parmesan until it melts into the sauce. Taste and add more Parmesan if you prefer a saltier, cheesier sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the sauce cool for a couple of minutes. Beat the egg briefly in a small bowl, then whisk it into the warm (not boiling) sauce so it thickens the sauce without scrambling.
- Stir in the chopped parsley and a generous grinding of fresh black pepper. The Parmesan should provide enough salt, so additional salt is usually unnecessary.
- Add the drained pasta to the sauce and toss to combine. If the pasta has cooled, return the pan to low heat and stir constantly for a short time so the residual heat brings everything together without scrambling the egg. If the sauce is too thick, loosen with a splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan, a simple salad and crusty bread if desired.
Notes
The key is to avoid scrambling the egg: let the sauce cool slightly before adding the egg and use residual heat from the sauce and pasta to gently cook it into a silky, creamy texture.
For a non-vegetarian twist, add cooked bacon or pancetta. For extra vegetables, stir in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach at the end until wilted.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
4
Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 356
Total Fat: 31g
Saturated Fat: 17g
Trans Fat: 1g
Unsaturated Fat: 11g
Cholesterol: 136mg
Sodium: 447mg
Carbohydrates: 9g
Fiber: 1g
Sugar: 2g
Protein: 12g
Nutritional information is an estimate and may vary depending on ingredients, portion sizes and preparation methods.
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