Guest Post – Vegetarian Spaghetti Carbonara

Time for another delicious recipe from my husband aka One Hungry Dude. This pasta dish is definitely a favourite of mine and Chris likes it because it’s fairly easy to throw together.

Whenever possible, I try to make a recipe that our family can enjoy together. That can be tough at times, since Sarah is a vegetarian, but we always manage to find a safe compromise with pasta. Whether it's Macaroni and Cheese, Pesto or a simple Tomato Sauce, there's plenty of great, flavourful recipes for pasta that don't involve meat. The traditional Roman Spaghetti alla Carbonara is made with pancetta, but I've adapted this recipe as a simple but tasty alternative.

Ingredients
• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 Medium-sized Tomato, diced
• 6 Button Mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
• 1/2 Tsp Basil
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• Half a box of whole wheat spaghetti
• 1/4 Cup Vegetable Broth
• 3 eggs
• 1 Cup Parmesan

Place the oil in a sauce pan, and warm over medium heat. When the pan is heated, add the mushrooms, salt, pepper and basil, and cook for about five minutes, until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the tomato. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of well salted water to a boil. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the eggs and parmesan cheese together. Cook the tomato-mushroom mixture for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the tomato begins to break down into a thick sauce. Place the spaghetti in the water, stirring occasionally and cooking until tender. Add the broth into the tomato-mushroom mix, and reduce the heat by about half, cooking the mixture for another 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the spaghetti, and add to the tomato-mushroom mix. Slowly add the eggs into the pasta, stirring constantly. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the eggs become firm, then add more pepper, garnish with parsley and serve.

This recipe yields six servings.