Marmite Mushroom Carbonara

Boil a full kettle

Preheat the oven to 220°C/ 200°C (fan)/ gas 7

Slice the chestnut mushrooms and chop any larger oyster mushrooms in half

Add the mushrooms to a large bowl with half of the Marmite, a drizzle of olive oil and a grind of black pepper and gently toss it all together until the mushrooms are coated – these are your Marmite mushrooms

Add the Marmite mushrooms to a large baking tray

Put the tray in the oven for 10-15 min until the mushrooms have started to caramelise and crisp – this is your Marmite mushroom 'bacon'

While the mushrooms are cooking, peel and finely slice the shallots

Peel and slice (don't chop!) the garlic

Heat a large, wide-based pan (preferably non-stick) with a drizzle of olive oil over a medium heat

Once hot, add the sliced shallot with a pinch of salt and cook for 4-5 min until starting to brown

Meanwhile, add the linguine to a pot of boiled water with a large pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a high heat

Cook the pasta for 8-10 min or until cooked with a slight bite

Once done, drain the linguine, reserving a cup of the starchy pasta water and drizzle the pasta with a little olive oil

Tip: The olive oil stops the pasta from sticking together!

Dissolve the vegetable stock mix and the remaining Marmite in 150ml [250ml] boiled water – this is your Marmite stock

Once the shallots have started to brown, add the sliced garlic and cook for 2 min further until fragrant

Once fragrant, add the Marmite stock and half the crème fraîche to the pan and cook for 2-3 min further until a smooth sauce remains – this is your creamy Marmite sauce

Separate the egg yolk[s] from the whites and discard the whites

Add the yolk[s] to a bowl with the grated Italian hard cheese and remaining crème fraîche and give it a good mix up

Grate the cheddar cheese

Chop the parsley and chives finely

Add the drained linguine and half the Marmite mushroom 'bacon' (save the rest for later!) to the pan with the creamy Marmite sauce

Stir through the egg yolk mixture, season with a few grinds of black pepper and cook for 1-2 min further or until the sauce begins to stick to the pasta – this is your Marmite mushroom carbonara

Tip: Add a splash of the starchy pasta water if your sauce is looking a little dry!