It’s been more than four months since I first watched Molly make mushroom carbonara on Bon Appétit’s YouTube channel. And I can’t believe it’s taken me this long to try out the recipe.
For one thing, the entrée features two of my favorite ingredients: fungi and pasta. Second, it comes together in a cinch. And third, I’m a fan of Molly Baz and her culinary creations.
You can use any short pasta when preparing mushroom carbonara (Molly opts for orecchiette), but I’m partial to organic conchiglie from Semolina Artisanal Pasta. I discovered the product while reading an article from The Kitchn. Shortly after, I spotted it on the shelves at Bi-Rite Market and snagged a bag.
The serendipitous find inspired me to finally tackle Molly’s twist on the traditional Italian dish. Like roasted cauliflower carbonara, it’s rich, creamy and packed with flavor. And Semolina’s pasta stays perfectly al dente until the last bite.
Recipe adapted from Bon Appétit.
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms, stems removed and torn into quarters
- 3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 3 egg yolks + ½ egg white
- ½ cup + 2 tablespoons finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- ¾ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 8 ounces conchiglie or other short pasta
- ½ cup chopped fresh parsley
- Heat a large pot over medium-high heat for 3 minutes. Add olive oil and mushrooms and toss to coat. Cook, without stirring, until the mushrooms start to brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir mushrooms. Cook, without stirring, for another 5 minutes.
- Add garlic, shallot and salt and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
- In a large bowl, combine the egg yolks, egg white, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and pepper.
- Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente according to package directions. Drain, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid.
- Add cooked pasta and ½ cup reserved cooking liquid to pot with mushrooms and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for 1 minute.
- Meanwhile, add ¼ cup reserved cooking liquid to bowl with egg and cheese mixture and stir vigorously until combined. Gradually add to pot with pasta and stir vigorously until combined. If necessary, add additional cooking liquid to loosen the sauce.
- Add parsley and stir to combine. Garnish with additional Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and serve immediately.
Looks amazing! Pinning!
Thanks, Karly! Molly comes up with the best pasta recipes. 🙂