Artichoke, Mushroom, & Pea Carbonara

Did someone say vegetarian carbonara? This take on a classic Italian pasta dish will fill your belly with savory joy - without the intense richness of the original. Start twirling that spaghetti!

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Carbonara is one of the best-known Italian pasta dishes, along with pomodoro, cacio e pepe, and some other select favorites. Typically, carbonara is a rich and creamy, with fat from rendered down pancetta (pork) as a base. Some mainstream carbonara relies on heavy cream to add heft, but traditional carbonara actually uses just egg yolks to make the signature yellowy color and sticky, creamy texture - no cream needed. This recipe uses egg yolks in the traditional fashion and a little bit of oat milk and paprika to compensate for not using meat - you won't even miss it!

The key to this recipe is sauteing the onions and mushrooms well until they get nicely browned, a bit jammy, and carry a rich flavor. The adage goes, 'don't crowd the mushrooms,' and that is true for getting nicely browned mushrooms (thank you, Julia Child). However, this can be time consuming and as long as you make sure to cook the mushrooms down until there is no water left releasing out and they are browning with the onions, this recipe will come out delicious. No individual mushroom flipping needed.

The order of operations matters here: onions should soften first to caramelize before the mushrooms go in. After the mushrooms and onions are browning (and are no longer wet), the artichokes can go in, to cook out some of their naturally briny flavor. Then the peas can be added, so that they get tender but don't mush up.

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After the veggies are ready, parmesan can be added, as well as the milk to get the sauce moist (since there is a dearth of animal fat). I like to use a relative of parmesan, Grana Padano, for its deep, nutty flavor, but other parmesans will do nicely, as well. The pasta can cook simultaneously during these last steps so that you can add a little pasta water to the sauce and render it down.

Last, add the pasta to the sauce and the egg yolks follow, folded in gently off heat (but still hot) so they can cook slightly but not scramble. (If you go too far on your first time and you get a bit of scramble, it will still taste delicious, the texture will just move away from creamy.) Top with some more parmesan (don't be shy with it) and bellissima! Mangia, ragazzi!

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Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Serves: 4

Ingredients

1/4 cup olive oil

1 lb spaghetti

1 large yellow onion

8 ounces of portobello, baby bella, or button s

1 can (12-14 oz) canned or jarred artichoke hearts, quartered preferred

10-12 ounces of frozen or fresh (and boiled) peas

1/2 cup plant-based or regular milk (oat milk used in this recipe)

2 egg yolks, large

Parmesan cheese

salt

black pepper, to taste

Equipment

Large pasta pot

Large saute pan

Instructions

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

• In the meantime, chop the peeled onion in half and then slice thin half moons, approximately a quarter inch in width.

• Coat the bottom of a pan with olive oil (approximately 2 tbs) and bring to a medium heat.

• Once the pan is hot, add the onions to caramelize, stirring frequently to avoid burning but encourage thorough browning.

• Clean the mushrooms and slice thinly, into approximately half-inch slices. If using large portobello mushrooms, cut the slices in half-width, so that they are not so lengthy. If using baby bellas or similarly small mushrooms, leave the slices intact.

• When the onions are golden, add the mushroom slices to the pan and more oil if needed. Stir frequently until the mushrooms have released their liquid, the liquid has boiled off, and the mushrooms are browning.

• Drain the artichokes and slice into quarters if using full hearts. Remove any very tough leaves that are difficult to cut through.

• Once the mushrooms are browning, add the artichokes and simmer until they have softened and are breaking apart.

• Add in the peas (ideally, thawed) and cook until they have softened and any liquid has evaporated away.

• Lower the heat to medium-low and add in the milk and parmesan. The milk should be allowed to simmer, but not boil (to avoid separating the milk).

• When the water is boiling, add in the pasta to cook to the package instructions for just under the time for al dente.

• Add freshly ground pepper to the pan.

• Separate two large egg yolks from their whites. Reserve the whites (they are not used in this recipe).

• Drain the pasta and add it to the pan with the sauce.

• Mix thoroughly and turn off the heat.

• Add the egg yolks to the pasta and stir thoroughly so that all egg yolk is heated. Leave the burner off to avoid scrambling the eggs.

• Top with more pepper and parmesan and serve! Enjoy! Mangia!