Carbonara With Sausage And Mushrooms

From Rachael Ray. Even the kids gobbled this up. After tempering the egg yolks with the hot water, I also microwaved them until they started to curdle.   I'm a little nervous about food safety.  Next time I may buy pasteurized eggs.

This is best the first day.

Ingredients

• Salt and pepper
• 1 pound ziti or penne rigate
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), divided
• 1/2 pound sweet Italian sausage
• 1/2 pound crimini mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/4 cup sherry or Marsala wine
• 2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
• 1/4 pound pancetta, finely diced
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1/2 cup dry wine wine
• 4 large egg yolks
• A couple generous handfuls of grated Pecorino Romano cheese, plus more for topping
• 1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Serves 4

Preparation

Bring a pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the pasta and cook until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the starchy cooking water.
While the pasta is working, in a large, deep skillet, heat 1 tablespoon EVOO over medium-high heat. Crumble in the sausage and cook until browned. Transfer to a plate. Add another 1 tablespoon EVOO to the drippings. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned, 10-12 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the sherry (or Marsala) and season with the thyme, salt and pepper; transfer to a plate.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons EVOO to the skillet. Stir in the pancetta and cook until browned, 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and lots of pepper for 2 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook to reduce for a minute. Add the sausage and mushrooms. Remove from the heat.
In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks with half of the reserved starchy cooking water to temper. Add the drained pasta to the skillet and pour the tempered eggs on top. Add the cheese and parsley and toss vigorously for 2 minutes, adding more pasta water if necessary to smooth the consistency. Serve in shallow bowls and top with more cheese.