Spaghetti alla carbonara, like many classic Italian pasta dishes, is definitely one of those dishes that makes a few ingredients into something special. This slight twist on the classic with mushrooms is easy and delicious!

Spaghetti alla carbonara with mushrooms on plate with forks to side and another plate behind

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This pasta dish is a classic, simple and easy dish that you'll instantly love. You'll find carbonara recipes with a few small variations and here I have made my own with mushrooms added.

For whatever reason I have pretty much always included mushrooms when I have made this and to me, they go really well and add to an already delicious dish with their simple earthiness.

It might not be the prettiest of meals, but it is so easy and tasty, it's definitely one to add to your list if it's not there already.

Spaghetti alla carbonara with mushrooms on black plate with another plate behind

What ingredients are in carbonara?

I find it a bit funny that there can be quite hearty debate over the few ingredients in carbonara that has so few to begin with -

Should it be bacon, pancetta or guanciale?
Cream or no cream?
Are peas sacrilege or an acceptable addition?

There seems to be less debate on the cheese, with either pecorino romano or parmesan (or a mix of both) being fine. Traditionally, the answer would appear to be guanciale (or maybe pancetta), no cream and no peas, and pecorino the preference since it's a dish from the Rome area.

Stack of spaghetti alla carbonara with mushrooms on plate from above

Personally I think you can go with whatever bacon-like form you have, just use something that has a good flavor. As after all, you are going to taste it.

I don't tend to add cream as I think the flavor is delicious enough without it, you are welcome to add a little if you like. I would just say I think you probably get more of the bacon flavor coming through without it, which I think can never be bad.

As I said I tend to add mushrooms as I think the flavor goes really well and so haven't felt the need for peas, which don't really feel like they go as well anyway, but again as you prefer.

adding pasta to pan with bacon and mushrooms

How it's made

Cooking spaghetti alla carbonara is very easy:

Simply cook your bacon in a pan so that you render the fat out and crisp it up.
Meanwhile, get your pasta cooking.
Then remove the bacon from the pan and cook the garlic and mushrooms. The mushrooms will take on the delicious flavors from the bacon as well.
Whisk up the eggs with the cheese then drain the pasta, reserving some of the pasta water.
Turn off the heat and add the pasta to the pan with the mushrooms.
Add back the bacon, mix, then pour over the egg mixture.

Tips for perfect spaghetti alla carbonara

As I say, this isn't a difficult recipe, but a couple tips:

Remove the pan from the heat when you add the egg-cheese mixture and mix fairly quickly to avoid getting scrambled eggs.
Use tongs to help you mix without breaking things up.
Add a little reserved pasta water to thin it out and make more of a sauce, if you like.
Try a mixture of smoked bacon and pancetta for a tasty balance of flavors.

Spaghetti alla carbonara with mushrooms is a very quick dish to make with a few simple ingredients, that turns them into something incredibly delicious. It's always gobbled down pretty quickly in our household, and I dare you to see if you have the same response. Given how quick it is to make, it's definitely worth the small amount of effort to try it out.

two plates of spaghetti alla carbonara with mushrooms from above, with forks to one side and grater and cheese to other

Try these other tasty pasta dishes:

Pasta puttanesca (with tuna, olives, tomato and capers)
Sardinian fregola with clams
Pasta alla Norma (with eggplant and tomato)
Scallop pasta with garlic and white wine
Plus get traditional Italian recipes (as well as more with slight twists) in the archives.

Spaghetti alla carbonara with mushrooms on black plate with a second plate in background

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5 from 6 votes