What’s Up, Hungry People

I recently went on a hunt for morels and came home with more than I knew what to do with! A rare and delicious fungus delicacy, foraging for morels is fun and rewarding (and maybe a bit dangerous).

Tired of frying morels? Curious what else you can make with them? After making a $100 black truffle and morel mushroom pizza, I decided it was time to taste test something new—and perhaps a bit more affordable.

Carbonara is a simple and savory dish that originates from Rome. Cooked with cured pork bacon, hard cheese, black pepper, and eggs, it’s an easy dish to dress up or down depending on the occasion. Morels make a great addition to carbonara—not only in flavor but texture as well. Packed with umami flavor, their soft and tender texture blends in well with the pasta and the boost of flavor enhances the eggy-cheesy sauce tenfold.

The key to the perfect carbonara, in my opinion, is to use a Dutch oven to cook it all in one pot. The grease from the bacon helps to saute the mushrooms and helps the sauce adhere to the noodles.

If you can’t go forage for your own wild morels, double-check your local grocery! I’ve actually been seeing more and more morels available—especially during morels peak season of April to June (in the Great Lakes region).

Just the other day I discovered my local store carries a variety of dried wild mushrooms, including morels (affiliate link) much to my surprise. It’s the first year I’ve seen anything like that in Northeast Ohio, so I’m hoping that morels are gaining popularity—they are legit so freaking delicious!

I dressed up my carbonara with morels (duh!), fresh spinach, and a generous dash of red pepper flakes. Not to mention all of the garlicky, cheesy goodness cooked into the pasta itself. Just don’t forget to top it all off with a big ol’ handful of parmesan.

Morel carbonara just might be my new favorite weeknight meal—that is, whenever I can get my hands on the good stuff. While I haven’t personally tried this recipe with dried morels, I’d love to know how it goes if you attempt to make this recipe with them! I would toss in the mushrooms early to get them rehydrated as the rest of the dish cooks.

Here’s What You Need

Thin spaghetti or angel hair: Perfect base for the carbonara sauce.
Pasta water: Helps bind the sauce and pasta together.
Morel mushrooms: Adds umami flavor and tender texture.
Garlic: Infuses a rich, aromatic taste.
Bacon: Provides a savory, crispy element.
Parmesan cheese: Adds a salty, cheesy goodness.
Eggs and egg yolks: Creates a creamy, rich sauce.
Pepper or lemon pepper: Adds a subtle heat and flavor.
Fresh spinach: Brings a pop of color and freshness.
White wine: Deglazes the pot and adds depth of flavor.
Green onions: Provides a fresh, slightly sharp finish.
Red pepper flakes: Adds a touch of heat.

Let’s Cook

Get your Dutch oven filled with water and bring it to a rolling boil. Toss in your noodles and cook them according to the box instructions. Don’t forget to scoop out half a cup of that starchy pasta water before you drain the rest. Set the noodles aside and let them chill for a bit.

Cook the Bacon

Make sure your Dutch oven is dry and crank up the heat. Throw in the chopped bacon and let it cook until it’s just starting to crisp up, about 5-8 minutes. Scoop the bacon out, but leave the bacon grease behind.

Sauté the Morels and Garlic

Next, toss those thinly sliced morels and roughly chopped garlic into the bacon grease. Sauté them until the garlic is starting to brown and the morels shrink down a bit, around 3-4 minutes. Your kitchen should smell amazing right about now.

Deglaze and Combine

Pour in the white wine to deglaze the pot, scraping up all those delicious bits stuck to the bottom. Add your noodles back in and give everything a good stir, making sure the bacon and morels are evenly mixed through the pasta. Lower the heat to medium so things don’t get too crazy.

Make the Sauce

In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, Parmesan, and pepper. Slowly mix in the warm reserved pasta water. Now, here’s the tricky part: slowly pour the egg mixture over the noodles, stirring constantly. Go slow and steady to avoid making scrambled eggs. You want creamy, not chunky.

Add the Spinach

Stir in the fresh spinach and keep cooking for another 3-4 minutes until the spinach is wilted and the sauce is thick and creamy.

Final Touches

Finally, throw the bacon back into the pot and give everything one last stir. Dish it up and top each serving with a pinch of red pepper flakes and a sprinkle of chopped green onions.

Tips and Troubleshooting

Preventing Scrambled Eggs: Pour the egg mixture slowly and stir continuously to avoid scrambling the eggs. If in doubt, take it slow!
Finding Morels: Fresh morels are best, but dried morels work too. Rehydrate dried morels by soaking them in warm water before using them in the recipe.
Adding Spinach: Add the spinach at the end to prevent it from overcooking. Wilted spinach adds a fresh pop without becoming mushy.
Reheating Leftovers: To reheat, add two tablespoons of water to the pasta before microwaving for 90 seconds. This keeps the carbonara from drying out.
Parmesan: Don’t skimp on the Parmesan! A generous handful not only adds flavor but also helps to thicken the sauce.

Morel carbonara is now my go-to weeknight meal whenever I can get my hands on these precious fungi. The combination of umami-packed morels, crispy bacon, and creamy, cheesy goodness is unbeatable. Plus, it’s a great way to make use of those hard-to-find morels. If you try this recipe with dried morels, I’d love to hear how it turns out. The Dutch oven method really brings everything together in one pot, making cleanup a breeze. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments!

Morel Mushroom Carbonara

The Starving Chef

A rich and creamy carbonara loaded with umami-packed morels, crispy bacon, and fresh spinach.

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Prep Time 15

Cook Time 30

Total Time 45

Course Main Course

Cuisine Pasta

Servings

Equipment

Ingredients

4 servings thin spaghetti or angel hair
½ cup reserved pasta water
4 morel mushrooms sliced thin
8 cloves garlic roughly chopped
4 slices bacon chopped
½ cup Parmesan cheese shredded
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon pepper or lemon pepper
2 cups fresh spinach
2 tablespoons white wine
2 green onions chopped, for topping
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes for topping

Instructions

Fill the Dutch oven with water and bring to a boil. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the box. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water and drain the rest. Set cooked noodles aside.
Dry the Dutch oven completely over high heat, then add the chopped bacon. Cook until just starting to crisp, about 5-8 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pot but leave the grease.
Fry the morels and chopped garlic in the bacon grease until the garlic is beginning to brown and the morels have shrunk in size, about 3-4 minutes.
Deglaze the pot with the white wine, then add the noodles and stir until the bacon and morels are evenly distributed throughout the noodles. Reduce the temperature to medium.
In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs, yolks, Parmesan, and pepper. Slowly stir in the warm reserved water. Slowly pour the egg mixture over the noodles, stirring the entire time. You don't want to scramble the eggs, so the slower you pour, the better.
Stir in the spinach and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the spinach is wilted and a thick, creamy sauce has formed.
Return the bacon to the pot and remove from heat. Serve with a pinch of red pepper flakes and green onions on top. Enjoy!
To reheat: add two tablespoons of water prior to microwaving for 90 seconds, then stir and heat in 30 second intervals until heated through. Leftovers keep for up to three days in the fridge.