Creamy Wild Mushroom Carbonara
Recipe from Santos Loo
This quick, easy, and versatile carbonara strikes the perfect balance of creamy cheese, pancetta, and umami-rich wild mushrooms. If meat isn’t an option, you can leave out the pancetta and still have a memorable meal. The mushrooms, cooked to golden-brown perfection in the Large Titanium Always Pan Pro, have enough personality to make this a satisfying weeknight dinner either way.
Start by rendering the flavorful fat from the pancetta, then add a mix of seasonal wild mushrooms to cook in the salty fat. The mushrooms are sautéed low and slow until golden brown, slightly crisp, and tender. Al dente pasta is added to the pan and tossed to soak up all the rich flavor from the pancetta and mushrooms. To finish, the pasta is combined with a creamy, cheesy blend of egg yolks, grated Parmigiano-Reggiano, and Pecorino Romano. The result is silky pasta with bits of crispy pancetta, tender mushrooms, and a rich, egg-yolk-based sauce full of sharp, tangy Pecorino and nutty Parmesan. A few grinds of black pepper, and dinner’s ready.
25 minutes
30 mins
4
What You'll Need
Ingredients
Egg and Cheese Sauce
8 large egg yolks
½ cup (about 2 ounces) grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
½ cup (about 2 ounces) grated Pecorino Romano
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
Pancetta and Mushrooms
5 ounces pancetta, cut into ¼-inch dice
10 ounces seasonal wild mushrooms, trimmed and thinly sliced
½ teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves, minced
Pasta
14 ounces dry spaghetti
1 tablespoon kosher salt
Directions
Step 1
Make the egg and cheese sauce. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks, Parmigiano-Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, and black pepper until smooth and creamy. Set aside.
Step 2
Cook the pancetta and mushrooms. In your Large Titanium Always Pan Pro, cook the pancetta over medium-low heat until crispy and golden, 10 to 12 minutes. With a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a bowl and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Increase the heat to medium, add the mushrooms and salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and crisp at the edges, about 15 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat, return the pancetta to the pan, and leave the pan over the warm burner.
💡 Chef's Tip:
If not using pancetta, heat 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil in your Large Titanium Always Pan Pro in place of the rendered fat.
Step 3
Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, bring the Ceramic Perfect Pot to a boil with plenty of salted water. Add the pasta and cook until al dente. Reserve about 1 cup of the hot pasta water, then use tongs to transfer the pasta into the pan with the pancetta and mushrooms. Toss well to coat.
Step 4
Finish the sauce. Add the hot pasta mixture to the bowl with the egg and cheese mixture, stirring quickly to prevent the yolks from curdling. Gradually pour in about 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water, tossing constantly to create a rich, glossy sauce. Add more water as needed for a silky texture.
Step 5
Serve. Divide among bowls and serve hot, topped with extra grated cheese and freshly ground black pepper.
Santos Loo
Santos Loo is a Peruvian-born chef based in Los Angeles. Starting his culinary journey as senior food stylist for Food Network, he spent a decade providing his culinary expertise to cooking show icons like Emeril Lagasse, Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, and Guy Fieri. With over 20 years in the food styling and recipe development industry, Santos continues to create food content for top streaming services, print media, and cookware brands.
