Sausage & Mushroom Carbonara Recipe: Rachael Ray + Nate Berkus

Rachael Ray: Carbonara Recipe with Sausage & Mushrooms

Rachael Ray and her friends are trying to teach decorator Nate Berkus how to cook. From omelettes to pasta, he is getting quite the education. Rachael started off with her basic carbonara recipe, but she is making it a little fancier with a sausage & mushroom carbonara option. Check it out below, or try it Milanese-Style.

With all these ideas, hopefully Nate Berkus will be able to cook better than he could before. Cooking really is an experimental process, and you get more confident as your skills improve, I think.

Rachael Ray: Sausage & Mushroom Carbonara Recipe Ingredients

• 1 lb Penne Rigate or Ziti Pasta
• 1/2 lb Sweet Italian Sausage
• 1/2 lb sliced Cremini Mushrooms
• 1/4 cup Cooking Sherry
• 4 cloves chopped Garlic
• 2 tbsp chopped Thyme
• 1/4 lb diced Pancetta or Bacon
• 3 Egg Yolks
• 1/2 cup Dry White Wine
• Pecorino-Romano Cheese
• 1/4 cup Parsley
• Olive Oil
• Salt & Pepper

Rachael Ray: Sausage & Mushroom Carbonara Recipe Directions

1. Bring a pot of water to boil and season it generously with salt.
2. Cook pasta until al dente and save 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
3. While the pasta is cooking, heat some olive oil on medium high in a large skillet.
4. Crumble sausage into the pan and cook it until browned. Set it aside on a plate.
5. Add more olive oil and mushrooms, cooking until they are browned.
6. Deglaze the pan using sherry and season the mushrooms using salt, pepper, and thyme.
7. Add more olive oil and stir in the pancetta (or bacon). Cook it about three minutes to brown it.
8. Add in the garlic and plenty of pepper, cooking about two minutes.
9. Add the wine and cook for a minute till it’s reduced.
10. Return sausage and mushrooms to the skillet and take it off the heat.
11. Beat egg yolks in a small bowl using the reserved pasta water.
12. Drain cooked pasta and add it to the skillet.
13. Pour egg mixture on top.
14. Add cheese and parsley, tossing intensely for a couple minutes.
15. Add more pasta water if needed, to create a smooth consistency.
16. Serve topped with more cheese and parsley.