Vacation Cooking
Bacon mushroom carbonara is inspired by my Aunt who introduced this Italian dish to me on a family vacation. We had a hungry group of eight including the tenacious appetites of four juveniles. Vacation cooking calls for simple, fast, and delicious dish. What I like best about this dish is the interesting combination of ingredients that until that day, I had no idea should go together.
Carbonara is salty and rich. You can easily make this without the mushrooms if that’s not your thing, but these are cooked in bacon grease… so basically, they are just more bacon guised as fungi. I’m using real parmesan and asiago, along with just egg yolks. You can use the powdered parm, which is how I enjoyed this as a kid. The sauce won’t be silky, but it will get you a pretty similar taste.
What You Need to Make Bacon Mushroom Carbonara
- Bacon – I recommend a thick cut and fresh. Cut corners if you like and use precooked bacon… but fresh is best.
- Mushroom – find nice, bright white cap mushrooms. Portobello mushrooms would also be delicious and meaty as well. Buy the whole caps so you can cut them into chunks rather than slices.
- Eggs – we just need the yolks for this, save the whites for a healthy omelet.
- Cheese – I like to use two kinds, Asiago and Parmesan. Again, if you want to cut corners, you can use the canned, powdered parmesan… but cut too many corners and this just won’t be be the same dish.
- Ground black pepper – I’m calling attention to this seasoning because it’s the only one you need. The cheese and bacon will bring the umami and salty.
- Pasta – I really like thick spaghetti, but linguini or fettuccine will also work nicely.
How To Make Bacon Mushroom Carbonara
Love, love, love how these yolk look! So beautiful!! To make this, I really tried to find the best sequence. You need the heat of the pasta and other elements to gently heat and cook the yolks. To do this, I recommend to first prepare the egg cheese mix.
Start by grating the cheese. I have been using a cheese grater for years… but I absolutely love how the zesting stick makes this light, fluffy, almost snow like fine shred. Next, separate the egg yolks from the whites. I think the easiest method is to crack the egg and toss the yolk between the shell halves, allowing the white to slide out into a bowl.
After the yolks have been separated, add them to the cheese. Add fresh ground black pepper and mix. Store this in the refrigerator until ready to use.
You’ll want to start the pasta water, salt it well. Add the pasta and bring it to a boil. Once the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup of pasta water and leave the pasta in the water until you’re ready to mix it with the sauce.
I Love Bacon!
Make the bacon by cutting the slices into 1 1/2- 2″ wide pieces. I do like to cook my bacon in the oven, which is less messy. But for this recipe, we’re going to use the pan over and over. Cutting the bacon will allow you to stir it up and the pieces aren’t so small that they cook into burnt crumbly pieces.
After the bacon is completely cooked, remove it and place it on a paper towel lined plate to drain. Reserve 1/4 cup of bacon grease. Cut up the mushrooms and place them in the back in the pan with the remaining grease and cook them until tender and almost golden.
Next, remove the cooked mushrooms and allow them to drain.
How To Make Bacon Mushroom Carbonara Sauce
We need to gently cook the eggs without making an omelet. Use your best judgement to decide if you should consume gently warmed egg yolks. We’ll use the heat of the bacon pan and the pasta.
Start by adding the egg cheese mix into the skillet. Slowly add in 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water and 2 Tablespoons of grease while whisking. Yes, you reserved more than needed… if you feel you need to add more water do so. Gently warm over low heat, whisking all the way to make the sauce smooth, melt the cheese, and turn the combination into a creamy, silky sauce.
Time to Drain the Pasta
Here we go! Make sure you drain the pasta well. Add it to the egg cheese mix. Also, add in the bacon and mushrooms. Give all of it a good toss, gently warming it over low until combined. The sauce should coat the pasta.
Dish up each serving and top with additional grated cheese. Serve immediately!
Tips, Tricks, & FAQs
- Pancetta is traditionally used in carbonara and is a great option. I like using bacon because it’s more versatile. I can keep bacon on hand in the freezer for BLTs, breakfast, salad topping, etc. Pasta and eggs are usually also always on hand.
- The sauce will definitely get absorbed if you store leftovers overnight, making the dish thick and stiff the next day. I recommend saving the extra pasta water you didn’t put in the pasta. Store it separately and then add it to the pasta the next day as you warm it to help loosen up the sauce.
- Other great options, try adding peas to the dish to get a little green. Grilled chicken in addition to or in place of the bacon would be phenomenal!
Bacon Mushroom Carbonara
Equipment
- mixing bowl
- cheese grater or zesting stick
- large saucepan
- paring knife
- cutting board
- large skillet
- whisk
- strainer
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons sea salt (1 teaspoon per 3 cups of water for pasta)
- 8 oz dried thick spaghetti
- 12 oz raw bacon, thick slice
- 8 oz white button mushrooms
- 5 egg yolks
- 1 cup grated asiago cheese (1-2 ounces)
- 2 cup grated parmesan cheese (3-4 ounces)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1 cup reserved pasta water (this is more than you need)
- 1/4 cup reserved bacon fat (this is more than you need)
Instructions
- Gather all your ingredients and tools.
Egg and Cheese
- Grate the parmesan and asiago cheeses. Place them in a mixing bowl.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites by cracking open the egg and tossing the yolk back and forth between the two halves of shells allowing the whites to slide off. You can keep the whites for other recipes if you desire.
- Add the egg yolks to the mixing bowl with the cheese. Add the ground pepper. Mix well. Refrigerate until ready to make the sauce.
Pasta
- Add water to a large pot for the pasta. Use 1 teaspoon of sea salt for every 3 cups of water. Prepare the pasta to the instructions on the box. Note: I like to break my spaghetti in half, it fits better in the pot and is easier to eat. When the pasta is cooked, reserve 1 cup water and let the past sit in the remaining water until ready.
Bacon and Mushrooms
- While the pasta is cooking, let's also start on the bacon. Cut the bacon into 1-2" strips. Place the strips in a skillet and cook over medium heat until the bacon is done. Stir occasionally. 10-15 minutes.
- While the bacon is cooking, clean the mushrooms either by brushing them clean or rinsing them, depending on your preference. Cut off the very end of the ends, then quarter each mushroom.
- Remove the bacon from the skillet and place it on a paper towel to drain off the excess grease.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of bacon grease. Leave the rest of the grease in the skillet.
- To the skillet with the bacon grease, add the mushrooms. Cook over low heat until the mushrooms are cooked, tender, and browned. Remove them from the grease and place them on a paper towel to drain off the excess grease. 5-6 minutes.
- Reserve 1 cup of pasta water. Don't drain the pasta yet.
Sauce and Assemble
- Back to the skillet, which should still be a bit warm. Add the egg cheese mix to the skillet. Slowly pour in 1/2 cups of reserved pasta water while whisking and 1-2 Tablespoons of the bacon grease. Whisk and gently heat over LOW heat. We want the cheese to melt, the sauce to get silky, the eggs to warm…. but we do not want an omelet. 1-2 minutes.
- Once the egg cheese mix is smooth, drain the pasta and add it to the sauce. Add the mushrooms and bacon. Mix everything until well combined. Over low heat, continue to stir and warm the pasta through. Stir, stir, stir so the eggs don't curdle. Remove the pasta from the heat.
- Top with additional grated cheese (optional) and serve immediately.
