I used to make this and quietly wonder why mine tasted like cream with mushrooms in it, rather than mushroom pasta. Turns out I was rushing the one step that matters.
Brown the mushrooms properly
Here’s what I was doing wrong. Onion in, garlic in, mushrooms in, stir it all around for a few minutes, cream, done. Twenty-five minutes and a beige sauce that tasted of very little.
The mushrooms need to go in on their own, in a hot pan, and be left alone. Not stirred. They’ll release their water first and sit there looking grey and unpromising for a good few minutes, and that’s the bit where I always gave up. Wait it out. Once the water has gone the pan gets hot again and they start to catch and turn properly golden brown at the edges.
That browning is the entire flavour of the dish. Pale mushrooms make a pale sauce, and no amount of parmesan afterwards will rescue it.
The onion and garlic go in after, once the mushrooms have colour, because they’d burn in the time it takes.
A few notes on the rest
Cremini over button. Cremini have a deeper, earthier flavour and hold their shape better. Button mushrooms work, they’re just quieter.
Don’t wash them. Wipe them with a damp cloth. Mushrooms are sponges, and any water you add is more water you have to cook off before browning can start.
Give them room. Twelve ounces in a small pan means they steam rather than brown. Use the widest pan you have, or do it in two batches.
Save the pasta water. A splash loosens the sauce and helps it cling. I have tipped it all down the sink more than once and regretted it.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta Made Easy
Ingredients
- 8 ounces pasta of your choice (fettuccine, spaghetti, or penne)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces mushrooms, sliced (cremini or button mushrooms work well)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Fresh parsley, chopped for garnish
Instructions
- Cook the Pasta: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté the Aromatics: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, sautéing until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the Mushrooms: Stir in the sliced mushrooms and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until they have released their moisture and are golden brown.
- Make the Sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, stirring until melted and the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat the pasta in the creamy mushroom sauce. Heat through for a minute.
- Serve: Plate the pasta, garnishing with fresh parsley and additional Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!
Things I learned the hard way
Don’t boil it once the cream is in. A gentle simmer only, or it splits.
Parmesan off the heat. Take the pan off the hob before it goes in and stir it through gradually. Straight into a bubbling pan and it goes grainy.
More pepper than feels sensible. Cream and parmesan are both soft and round, and the pepper is what stops it being one-note.
Ways to change it
With bacon or pancetta. Crisp it first, take it out, brown the mushrooms in the fat, stir it back through at the end.
With thyme. A teaspoon of fresh leaves in with the garlic. Mushrooms and thyme belong together.
With a splash of white wine. After the mushrooms have browned, before the cream. Let it bubble away for a minute.
With spinach. Two handfuls wilted in at the end if you want it to feel less rich.
Vegan. Olive oil, full fat coconut milk or oat cream, and nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan.
How I like to eat it
In a shallow bowl with far too much black pepper and a bit of parsley, mostly for the colour. Bread on the side, and that’s the whole thing.
It’s also very good the next day, reheated gently with a splash of milk, which is not true of every cream sauce.
Keeping it
Three days in the fridge. Reheat in a pan over low heat with a splash of milk or water, stirring, rather than in the microwave where the sauce tends to split.
I wouldn’t freeze it. Cream sauces come back grainy and the mushrooms go rubbery.
Questions people ask me
Which pasta?
Something with ridges or a wide ribbon, so fettuccine, tagliatelle, penne or rigatoni. Spaghetti works but the sauce slides off it.
Can I use single cream or half and half?
You can, but it’s more likely to split and the sauce will be thinner. Heavy cream is more forgiving.
My sauce went grainy.
The parmesan went in over heat. Off the hob first, then add it gradually.
Can I make it ahead?
Not really, it’s better fresh. But it’s twenty-five minutes, so there’s not much to gain.
Why does mine taste bland?
Nine times out of ten the mushrooms weren’t browned enough. Give them longer than feels comfortable.
Check out my And quick pasta recipes ready in 30 minutes or less if you like quick and easy pasta dinners
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
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Ingredients
Method
- Cook the Pasta: In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Sauté the Aromatics: In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic, sautéing until softened and fragrant, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the Mushrooms: Stir in the sliced mushrooms and cook for about 5-7 minutes, or until they have released their moisture and are golden brown.
- Make the Sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer. Add the grated Parmesan cheese, stirring until melted and the sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Combine: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat the pasta in the creamy mushroom sauce. Heat through for a minute.
- Serve: Plate the pasta, garnishing with fresh parsley and additional Parmesan if desired. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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