Spaghetti Carbonara with Mushrooms

While Carbonara is a staple in Italy, that doesn’t mean you should be missing out on a delightful Italian pasta dish. Why not make Gluten Free Spaghetti Carbonara with Mushrooms at home for dinner for your family and loved ones?

What I truly love about this dish is that it uses pantry staples, and it is easy enough to make for dinner during the busy work week. This dish is loaded with robust flavor for only a handful of ingredients. It is relatively inexpensive to make, and most grocery stores carry baby Bella and shiitake mushrooms.

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WHAT IS CARBONARA?

Traditional Carbonara is an Italian pasta dish made with eggs, hard cheese, pork and black pepper. Spaghetti Carbonara is an Italian main course of spaghetti -with bacon or pancetta, that is mixed with a home-made creamy sauce made from eggs, pecorino Romano and black pepper.

To me, Carbonara is as decadent as it is creamy. The flavor combination is just wonderful. If you love pasta as much as I do, please check out my gluten free Alfredo Sauce recipe. It is fantastic.

WHAT IS VEGETARIAN CARBONARA?

Typically, carbonara is made with pancetta or bacon. I have made Carbonara both ways and they are just great. A couple of my friends are Vegetarian’s and I try coming up with recipes that they can enjoy. No one should have to miss out on a hearty Italian dish because they don’t taste meat.

The mushrooms provide such a deep flavor with the garlic. You will never miss the meat with this recipe.

DO I NEED TO USE GLUTEN FREE SPAGHETTI FOR THIS DISH?

This is definitely a personal preference. However, spaghetti works the best for this dish in my opinion. I have had it with penne, and it just doesn’t have the same appeal.

WHAT IS THE KEY TO A SUCCESSFUL CARBONARA?

First of all, finding the right gluten free brand of pasta is key. Some gluten free pastas literally fall apart. You need the pasta to hold up while sitting and mixing together.

My top recommendations are:

WHY DO I NEED TO RESERVE THE PASTA WATER AND SET ASIDE?

Adding the hot water to the pasta mixture makes it nice and creamy. Usually, a cup is reserved and is added a little at time until the desired creaminess is reached.

IS FRESH PARSLEY NECESSARY?

Absolutely. Fresh chopped parsley is a staple in my house. I use it for most of my recipes. If I am making a pasta dish at home, fresh herbs are always used. If you are not a fan of parsley, you can leave it out.

ARE THE EGGS RAW IN THIS DISH?

Yes, the eggs are raw. The heat from the hot pasta cooks the eggs. The key is that the hot pasta needs to be mixed with the egg mixture as soon as it is removed from the heat. Otherwise, the pasta will not be hot enough, which means the eggs will not be fully cooked.

WHAT IS THE BEST TYPE OF CHEESE TO USE FOR THIS RECIPE?

Pecorino Romano is a great choice due to its salty sharp taste. If you do not have or cannot find, then you can use parmesan.

EASY WEEKNIGHT MEAL

This meals tastes like what you would get served at fancy Italian restaurant without the high price tag. For starters, this recipe is as easy as boiling pasta, mixing up a sauce and combining everything together. Super simple and easy to make.

After a day’s hard work, I just want a meal that hits the spot and is pure comfort food. And this gluten free Spaghetti Carbonara with Mushrooms fits that bill. Sometimes, we all just need a meal that is convenient and quick.

INGREDIENTS NEEDED FOR SPAGHETTI CARBONARA WITH MUSHROOMS

• Egg Yolks- 4 Large
• Large Eggs- 2
• Baby Bella Mushrooms- 1- 8 Ounce package
• Shiitake Mushrooms- 1- 8 Ounce package
• Gluten Free Spaghetti- 1 Pound
• Grated Pecorino Romano or Parmesan Cheese- 1 Cup
• Salt and Pepper
• Garlic Cloves- 4 Finely Chopped
• Fresh Chopped Parsley-4 Tablespoons
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil- 2 Tbsp

TIPS AND TRICKS

• Prepare the sauce while the pasta is cooking to ensure that the spaghetti will be hot and ready when the sauce is finished. This is really important- the pasta needs to be hot when adding the egg mixture, so that the heat of the pasta cooks the raw eggs in the sauce.
• Do not over cook the pasta. It should be tender but firm to the bite.
• Do not break spaghetti. You want to cook the spaghetti without breaking them.
• Stir the reserved pasta water a couple tablespoons at a time for the desired consistency. The sauce may seem thin to start, but do not worry. It will thicken up nicely and will be nice and saucy.

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO MAKE SPAGHETTI CARBONARA WITH MUSHROOMS

• Place a large pot with a pasta insert over high heat on the stove-top and bring to a boil.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the room temperature eggs, yolks and parmesan cheese. Season with a pinch of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Whisk well to prevent any lumps.
• Slice the baby Bella mushrooms and shiitake mushrooms and set aside.
• Once the water has started to boil, salt and add the gluten free spaghetti. Cook to a little before al dente. While the pasta is cooking- follow the next steps:
• Turn stove-top to medium heat, and add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil into a medium non stick pan. Once the pan has heated up, add the chopped mushrooms. Salt and sautée until the mushrooms are soft, about 5-10 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and sautée for about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
• Reserve 1 cup of the hot pasta water and set aside. Once the spaghetti is fully cooked, add the spaghetti to the mushrooms mixture and toss everything to combine.
• In a separate large mixing bowl, add the spaghetti, and pour the egg mixture over the spaghetti stirring constantly until creamy(to avoid scrambled eggs) to avoid lumps. Do not add the egg mixture to the stove-top. This will create scrambled eggs.
• Thin out the sauce with a bit of the reserved pasta water, a couple tablespoons at a time until it reaches the desired consistency and creaminess.
• Season the carbonara well with black pepper and salt, then add the chopped parsley.
• Serve and enjoy.

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