Emily Johnson
Mushroom carbonara is a twist on the traditional Italian pasta dish that originated in Rome in the mid-20th century. The classic recipe is made with cured pork, eggs, grated hard cheese, and long, slender strands of pasta. However, mushroom carbonara substitutes mushrooms for the cured pork, creating a vegetarian option that doesn't compromise on flavour or texture. This variation typically includes button, cremini, or baby bella mushrooms, which are sliced thinly and sautéed until golden brown, adding a meaty texture and umami flavour to the dish. The addition of mushrooms provides a quick and easy way to elevate the classic carbonara, making it a delicious and elegant option for a special occasion or everyday meal.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ease of preparation | Easy to make |
| Traditional ingredients | No mushrooms |
| Taste | Savory, salty, creamy, cheesy, garlicky |
| Texture | Smooth, silky |
| Ingredients | Mushrooms, bacon, eggs, pasta, cheese, parsley, black pepper |
| Vegetarian option | Skip the bacon/pancetta |
| Calories | 674 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
Mushroom Carbonara recipes
Mushroom Carbonara is a pasta dish that can be made in a variety of ways, including vegetarian options. The following sections outline some recipes for this dish.
Ingredients
The ingredients used in Mushroom Carbonara can vary depending on the recipe and individual preferences. Here are some common ingredients:
- Mushrooms: Button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, or your preferred variety.
- Pasta: Spaghetti, orecchiette, or any dried pasta of your choice.
- Eggs: A combination of egg yolks and whole eggs, with a higher proportion of yolks for a creamier texture.
- Cheese: Freshly grated hard cheeses like Parmesan, Pecorino Romano, or Grana Padano.
- Aromatics: Garlic, shallots, and/or red onion.
- Meat (optional): Bacon, pancetta, or guanciale (cured pork cheeks).
- Olive oil: Extra-virgin olive oil is recommended for cooking the mushrooms.
- Seasonings: Salt and black pepper to taste.
- Parsley (optional): For added flavour and garnish.
Method
- Prepare the mushrooms by tearing off and discarding the stems, then slicing or tearing them into quarters or halves.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions in a large pot of salted boiling water. Reserve about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water before draining.
- Heat a large pan over medium-high heat and add olive oil. Toss the mushrooms in the oil and cook until they are golden brown, stirring occasionally. This may take around 10-16 minutes.
- If using meat, cook it in a separate pan until the fat is rendered. Remove the meat from the pan and set it aside. Discard most of the fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan with the meat fat and cook until golden brown. Return the meat to the pan and take it off the heat.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, whole eggs, and grated cheese. Set this mixture aside.
- Once the pasta is cooked al dente, drain it and add it to the pan with the mushroom and meat mixture.
- Combine the pasta with the mushroom and meat mixture, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water to create a sauce.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let it cool slightly. This step is important to prevent the eggs from scrambling when added to the hot pasta.
- Gradually add the egg and cheese mixture to the pasta, stirring vigorously to create a creamy sauce that coats the pasta. Add more pasta cooking water as needed to adjust the consistency.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper as desired.
- Garnish with chopped parsley and additional grated cheese.
- Serve immediately while hot.
Variations
Mushroom Carbonara can be customized to your taste preferences:
- Vegetarian Option: Omit the meat and use mushrooms as a substitute for cured pork to create a vegetarian dish.
- Cheese Choices: Experiment with different types of freshly grated hard cheeses to find your preferred flavour combination.
- Mushroom Varieties: Try different types of mushrooms, such as cremini or button mushrooms, to find your favourite texture and flavour.
The Magic of Melmac Mushrooms: A Guide
You may want to see also
Vegetarian Carbonara
To prepare the dish, you'll need to steam and then sauté the mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil until they're golden brown. You can also add a splash of white wine to deglaze the pan and incorporate all the flavours into the sauce. Don't forget to season with salt and pepper to taste.
While cooking the pasta according to the package instructions, you can prepare the carbonara sauce by mixing egg yolks, one whole egg, and grated Parmesan cheese. It's important to use finely grated cheese and to check if the Parmesan is suitable for vegetarians. You can find vegetarian Parmesan at specialty food stores. Once the pasta is al dente, drain it and return it to the pan. Then, toss it with the mushroom mixture, parsley, and carbonara sauce. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can thin it out with some of the reserved pasta water.
Finally, serve the vegetarian carbonara with a sprinkle of extra Parmesan and black pepper on top. Enjoy this delicious and creamy vegetarian take on a classic Italian dish!
Mushrooms: Starchy or Not?
You may want to see also
Classic Carbonara ingredients
Classic carbonara is a simple Italian pasta dish that combines a few ingredients to create a rich, silky sauce. The key components are raw eggs, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper.
The eggs are the base of the sauce, providing its creamy texture. Typically, a combination of egg yolks and whole eggs is used, with a ratio of 2 egg yolks to 1 whole egg. The eggs are whisked and then tempered by adding a few tablespoons of hot pasta cooking water to prevent curdling. The tempered eggs are then tossed with the hot pasta to gently cook the eggs and create the sauce.
For the cheese, freshly grated hard cheeses like Parmesan, Grana Padano, Pecorino Romano, or Parmigiana Reggiano are ideal. The key is to use freshly grated cheese as it has a more intense flavour and melts more easily into the sauce.
Cured pork, such as guanciale, pancetta, or bacon, adds flavour and fat to the dish. The fat from the pork combines with the egg and pasta cooking water to create the creamy sauce. If using bacon, a small amount of olive oil may be added for extra fat.
Finally, black pepper is essential, both for flavour and for the visual appeal of the dish. The ground black pepper resembles flecks of coal, which may be the origin of the dish's name ("carbone" meaning charcoal in Italian).
While not a classic ingredient, garlic is sometimes used to flavour the fat when frying the cured pork. However, it is important to note that traditional carbonara is not garlicky. Additionally, while some recipes may include cream, this is not part of an authentic carbonara, as the eggs and cheese provide the necessary creamy texture.
Mushroom Rice: A Tasty, Healthy Dish
You may want to see also
Explore related products
How to cook pasta
Ingredients
- Pasta
- Salt
- Water
- Olive oil
Steps
First, fill a large pot with water. The amount of water depends on the amount of pasta you are cooking. A ratio of 2.5 quarts (2.5 litres) of water to 400 grams of pasta is usually enough for four people. If you are cooking a pound of pasta, 3 quarts of water is a good amount.
Next, add salt to the water. The salt will season the pasta as it cooks and will also penetrate the noodles. The water should be well-salted. It should be so salty that drinking it by itself would be unpleasant. You can always experiment with the amount of salt you add, depending on your preference.
Then, bring the water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the dried pasta and stir. Keep stirring the pasta until the water returns to a boil.
Now, set a timer for one minute less than the package instructions recommend. If you like your pasta very firm (al dente), check the pasta at this point. If you are going to be simmering the pasta in a sauce for a while, you should check and remove the pasta even sooner.
Finally, strain the pasta and cool it briefly. Do not rinse the pasta as this will wash away the starch that helps the sauce stick to it. Instead, toss the pasta in olive oil. When you are ready to serve, add the pasta to a warm sauce and toss to combine.
Variations
Some recipes call for finishing the pasta in the sauce. In this case, you would cook the pasta until it is a minute or two under al dente, then finish it in the sauce. You can also add some starchy pasta water to the sauce as you finish the pasta. The starch will thicken the sauce and help the pasta finish cooking.
Tips
- If you are making an oil-based sauce, the starch from the pasta water is important. It acts as an emulsifier that holds the oil in an emulsion, resulting in a creamy rather than greasy sauce.
- You do not need to constantly stir the pasta as it cooks, as long as you stir immediately after adding the pasta to the water. This is to prevent the pasta from sticking.
- Do not put oil in the water when cooking the pasta.
Mushrooms: Heartburn Trigger or Healthy Treat?
You may want to see also
Carbonara sauce
While the traditional cured pork used in carbonara sauce is guanciale, a cured meat from the jowl of a pig, pancetta or bacon are common substitutes. The sauce is often seasoned with salt and pepper, and some recipes include garlic for added flavour. However, traditional Roman carbonara does not include garlic.
To thin out the sauce and create a silky texture, pasta water is added gradually while tossing the pasta. This technique helps the sauce cling to the pasta and enhances its flavour. For a vegetarian option, mushrooms can be used in place of the cured pork, adding depth of flavour to the dish.
Overall, carbonara sauce is a simple yet indulgent sauce, relying on a few key ingredients and basic kitchen staples to create a rich and satisfying dish.
Microdosing Mushrooms: A Beginner's Guide to Expectations
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
While mushrooms are not traditionally included in carbonara, they are a common addition, adding flavour and texture to the dish.
Traditional carbonara is made with long, slender strands of pasta, cured pork (such as pancetta or bacon), and a combination of eggs and grated hard cheese like parmesan or pecorino Romano.
To make mushroom carbonara, fry chopped bacon or pancetta with a clove of garlic, then remove the garlic and add sliced mushrooms to the pan. Fry until golden, then add the cooked pasta and toss to combine.
