Vegetarian Carbonara with Mushrooms (20 Minutes)

Upgrade pasta night with my creamy, cozy vegetarian carbonara! It’s silky and rich, with spaghetti coated in a glossy egg and Parmesan sauce and loaded with buttery mushrooms. Vegetarian, ready in 20 minutes, and built entirely from pantry and produce staples.

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You’ll Be Making This On Repeat

Traditional carbonara gets its savory depth from guanciale or pancetta, so removing the meat is the obvious challenge. Mushrooms solve it better than any other substitute because they brown in butter and release a concentrated, umami-forward moisture that seasons the pasta. So tasty!

The more important technical challenge (and the one where most home cooks go wrong) is the egg tempering step. Adding pasta water slowly to the egg mixture before combining everything raises the egg temperature gradually, which is what produces a silky sauce rather than scrambled eggs on noodles.

• On the table in 20 minutes with no special equipment
• Lighter than cream-based pasta but just as rich-tasting
• Impressive enough for date night, straightforward enough for a weeknight

Key Ingredients

This vegetarian carbonara uses only eight ingredients, two of which are seasonings! (Jump to the recipe for exact measurements – this is just an overview.)

• Egg yolks and whole eggs: The yolk-heavy ratio is what produces a glossy, coating sauce rather than a thin, eggy one. Room temperature eggs emulsify more easily than cold ones straight from the fridge (this is worth the five minutes it takes to set them out.)
• Parmesan: Pre-shredded Parmesan contains anti-caking agents that prevent it from melting smoothly into the sauce, so grate it fresh! You can also use Pecorino Romano cheese if that’s more budget-friendly.
• Pasta water: The starchy cooking water is the emulsifying agent that binds the eggs and Parmesan into a cohesive sauce. Reserve a full cup before draining even if you don’t think you’ll need all of it.
• Mushrooms: You can use your favorite type of mushroom here. White or brown button mushrooms are easiest to find, but shiitake or portobello add loads of flavor!
• Spaghetti: Bucatini and rigatoni are also types of pasta that work wonderfully, too.

Why did my carbonara scramble?

Scrambled carbonara comes down to heat moving too fast. The three most common causes are adding the pasta water too quickly during tempering, combining the egg mixture while the pan is still over direct heat, and using cold eggs straight from the fridge.

Add Some veggies

Want to add more vegetable ingredients to your carbonara? Here are some ideas.

• Asparagus: Chop up spears of asparagus for a nutritious crunch in every bite. Quickly sauté or roast them for maximum deliciousness.
• Zucchini: Sauté bite-sized pieces over high heat with a splash of oil until golden brown and slightly soft.
• Cherry tomatoes: Throw in fresh halves, roast them to bring out their sweetness, or try sun-dried tomatoes!

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Vegetarian Carbonara with Mushrooms (20 Minutes)

4.93 from 26 ratings

By: Sarah Bond

Prep: 5 minutes minutes

Cook: 15 minutes minutes

Total: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

This vegetarian carbonara is silky, rich and ready in 20 minutes with spaghetti coated in a glossy egg and parmesan sauce loaded with buttery mushrooms!

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 Tbsp unsalted butter, 28 g
• ▢ 3 cups sliced mushrooms, 180 g
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ▢ 1 lb uncooked spaghetti, 450 g
• ▢ 2 Tbsp salt
• ▢ 4 egg yolks, room temperature
• ▢ 2 whole eggs, room temperature
• ▢ 1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, 85 g

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Instructions 

• Mushrooms: Melt butter in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add mushrooms and garlic, cooking until mushrooms lose their moisture and become soft, about 5 minutes.
  
• Whisk Eggs: Whisk together the egg yolks and whole eggs until evenly mixed. Stir in the Parmesan.
  
• Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then add salt and spaghetti. Cook according to the package instructions until spaghetti is al dente. When finished, save 1 cup of the water that you cooked the pasta in, and strain out the rest.

  Transfer cooked spaghetti back to the pot and set aside.
  
• Temper Eggs: Very slowly drizzle the 1 cup of pasta water into the eggs, whisking as you pour. This tempers the eggs so that they won't scramble when they hit the hot noodles.
  
• Add Eggs: Stir the egg mixture into the cooked spaghetti and stir vigorously to combine.
  
• Serve: Stir in mushrooms. Top with cracked black pepper and more Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
  

Notes

Carbonara is best eaten immediately. The sauce continues to thicken as it sits and doesn’t reheat well without breaking

If reheating leftovers, add a splash of water and warm gently over very low heat, stirring constantly; do not microwave at full power or the eggs will scramble

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days

Not suitable for freezing. The egg-based sauce breaks on thawing

Can I make this vegan or dairy-free? A true carbonara is built on eggs and Parmesan, so a vegan version requires rebuilding the sauce entirely rather than swapping ingredients. For dairy-free, the butter swaps easily for a plant-based alternative, and a hard aged dairy-free Parmesan can work in place of the real thing, though the sauce will be less sharp and nutty. The eggs are the non-negotiable element: without them, the sauce won’t emulsify.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 545kcal | Carbohydrates: 65.8g | Protein: 26.9g | Fat: 19.8g | Saturated Fat: 9.4g | Cholesterol: 405mg | Sodium: 310mg | Potassium: 426mg | Fiber: 0.6g | Sugar: 1.2g | Calcium: 245mg | Iron: 6mg

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!