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A bowl of vegetarian carbonara spaghetti topped with sautéed mushrooms, grated cheese, chopped parsley, and black pepper, with a fork resting on the side.
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4.93 from 26 ratings

Vegetarian Carbonara with Mushrooms (20 Minutes)

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!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time20 minutes
Course: Main Dishes, Pastas
Cuisine: Italian
Diet: Gluten Free, Halal, Hindu, Kosher, Low Lactose, Vegetarian
Keyword: mushroom carbonara, vegetarian carbonara, vegetarian spaghetti carbonara
Diet: Vegetarian
Occasion: Valentine's Day
Time: 30 minutes or less, 45 minutes or less
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Sarah Bond

Ingredients

  • 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

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.
    Sliced mushrooms sautéed in a stainless steel pan, showing browned edges and caramelization.
  • Whisk Eggs: Whisk together the egg yolks and whole eggs until evenly mixed. Stir in the Parmesan.
    A glass bowl containing beaten eggs and grated cheese, with a black spatula resting inside, on a green countertop.
  • 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.
    Cooked spaghetti noodles draining in a white colander with black handles, placed on a green countertop.
  • 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.
    A glass bowl with a yellow egg mixture and a whisk next to a measuring cup filled with a cloudy liquid on a green countertop.
  • Add Eggs: Stir the egg mixture into the cooked spaghetti and stir vigorously to combine.
    A glass bowl of beaten eggs is positioned above a pan filled with cooked spaghetti on a green surface.
  • Serve: Stir in mushrooms. Top with cracked black pepper and more Parmesan cheese. Serve immediately.
    A skillet filled with cooked spaghetti and sautéed mushrooms on a green surface.

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
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