Mushroom Spaghetti Carbonara

In this easy gluten-free weeknight dish, mushrooms and pasta are cloaked in a creamy sauce made from eggs and cheese. A shower of fresh basil makes an aromatic finish. Here, a small quantity of pancetta is used for an extra punch of savory flavor, but if you’d prefer to make a vegetarian dish, you can substitute olive oil instead.

 

Mushroom Spaghetti Carbonara

 

1 1/2 oz. (45 g) pancetta, chopped, or 1 Tbs. olive oil

1/2 lb. cremini mushrooms, sliced

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

1 Tbs. minced fresh sage

Pinch of red pepper flakes

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

6 oz. (185 g) gluten-free spaghetti

2 eggs

3/4 cup (3 oz./85 g) grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup (2 fl. oz./60 ml) dry white wine

1/4 cup (1/3 oz./10 g) fresh basil leaves, torn into pieces

 

Bring a large pot two-thirds full of salted water to a boil over high heat.

 

In a large nonstick fry pan over medium-high heat, sauté the pancetta until beginning to brown, about 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms, onion, sage and red pepper flakes. Sprinkle with salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Sauté until the mushrooms are tender, about 8 minutes. Remove the fry pan from the heat.

 

Add the pasta to the boiling water and stir well. Cook according to the package instructions, stirring occasionally, until al dente (tender but firm to the bite). Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the eggs with a fork and mix in the cheese.

 

Remove 1/2 cup (4 fl. oz./125 ml) of the pasta cooking water and reserve. Drain the pasta. Add the wine to the fry pan with the mushroom mixture and boil until reduced by half, stirring up the browned bits, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the spaghetti to the fry pan. Gradually whisk 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of the reserved pasta cooking liquid into the egg mixture. Add the egg mixture to the fry pan and stir until it coats the pasta and is creamy, not wet and runny. If the egg mixture does not become creamy, set the fry pan over very low heat and stir constantly just until it becomes creamy, watching carefully (do not boil).

 

Immediately remove the fry pan from the heat. If needed, mix in enough of the remaining 1/4 cup (60 ml) pasta cooking liquid to form a silky texture. Divide between 2 warmed bowls and serve immediately. Serves 2.

 

 

Find more quick, gluten-free dinner recipes in our book
Weeknight Gluten Free, by Kristine Kidd.