Creamy Mushroom Pasta
The best creamy mushroom pasta! Made with a secret ingredient, this creamy mushroom pasta is packed with savory umami flavor and ready in just 20 minutes! Save this for weeknight dinners.
I’m so excited to share this creamy mushroom pasta with you. It’s so simple, packed with savory umami flavor, fresh herbs and thick bucatini noodles.
Mushrooms are so incredibly meaty and perfect in this hearty pasta. And, we’re doing two mushrooms here– first, cooking the pasta in mushroom broth and then sauteeing mushrooms in garlic and olive oil until golden brown and tossing everything together with a little heavy cream, parmesan cheese and parsley.
My fellow mushroom recipes, these recipes are for you. See below for tips and more information on how to make this creamy mushroom recipe, or scroll all the way down for the full recipe.
Everything You Need to Make this Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Why This Creamy Mushroom Pasta Recipe Works
Mushrooms are packed with umami flavor, which makes this pasta so meaty and delicious. Mushrooms are naturally rich in glutamic acid, a non-essential amino acid that is responsible for the umami taste. Glutamate binds to taste receptors on the tongue, which triggers the savory-like sensation associated with umami.
The browned mushrooms create a rich, savory, and deeply satisfying umami flavor that enhances this pasta.
Ingredient Notes
- Mushroom Broth: Cooking the pasta in mushroom broth instead of water creates extra-creamy noodles without additional cream. You can also use other broths, like vegetable broth if you don’t want to use mushroom broth.
- Mushrooms: For cost, I recommend button mushrooms or baby bella mushrooms. You can also use portobello mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, or shiitake mushrooms.
- Balsamic Vinegar: Balsamic vinegar also contains ingredients that create umami taste sensations. The longer balsamic vinegar is aged, the more concentrated and pronounced the umami flavors become due to the extended fermentation and breakdown of compounds. This is why aged, traditional balsamic vinegar from regions like Modena and Reggio Emilia in Italy are particularly prized for their deep, complex, and umami-rich flavors. A little goes a long way here!
- Heavy Cream: A splash of heavy creamy adds richness and creamy flavor, but only a fraction of the cream called for in other recipes. This, along with the parmesan cheese, creates so much of the flavor in this simple mushroom pasta recipe. Cashew cream or non-dairy cream can also be used, with varying results.
- Parsley: Parsley adds texture and a punch of freshness! It also helps to balance the richness of the sauce.
How to Make this Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Cook the Pasta
Cook the pasta in a mix of broth and water until al dente.
Cook the mushrooms
While the pasta is cooking, make the mushrooms. Saute garlic cloves until softened, then add in sliced mushrooms and cook until golden. Add in broth, balsamic vinegar and heavy cream.
Toss together
Toss with pasta and plenty of fresh parsley. Serve immediately.
Tips for Success
As Julia Child once famously said, don’t crowd the mushrooms. It’s an important tip and one that I often repeat in my head when I’m cooking mushrooms. The key to getting that crispy outside is heating the olive oil, adding the mushrooms in a single layer, and then letting them sit. A few minutes untouched will create the most beautiful crust. Flip and repeat.
The other trick to this mushroom pasta is cooking the pasta in rich mushroom broth. Honestly, you almost don’t even need anything else. The pasta is completely seasoned by the mushroom broth without having to add any extra salt or seasonings.
So, enjoy it like is (especially with a little bit of melted goat cheese or parmesan cheese), or make it the way I do here, with crispy sautéed mushrooms and lots of parsley. Mushroom broth is my secret ingredient in this pasta and mushroom farro risotto.
Cooking the pasta in only 4 cups of water does work. Less liquid also means your pasta cooking time is cut in half; no more waiting 15 minutes for a large pot of water to come to a boil. In fact, you don’t even have to bring the broth to a boil if you’re in a rush, as shown in this Food Network video.
You can use a large skillet or pot to cook the pasta in, but make sure you stir the pasta often once it’s in the pan. Since you aren’t using a lot of water for the pasta to swim in, you need to make sure to stir often so the strands don’t stick to one another.
Mushroom lovers, stand up! This weeknight pasta dish is for you.
More Mushroom Recipes
- Wild Mushroom Risotto
- Mushroom Galette
- Vegan Mushroom Gravy
- Mushroom Stroganoff
- Mushroom Fajitas with Cashew Blanco Sauce
If you try this creamy pasta recipe, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking!
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 cups mushroom broth
- 12 ounces spaghetti, linguine, bucatini or other long noodle, whole wheat if desired
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 10 ounces mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, depending on how much spice you want
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream*
- 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for topping
Instructions
- Place 3 3/4 cups mushroom broth plus 1/2 cup water in a large, wide skillet over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Add the 10 ounces of noodles, gently letting them soften into the liquid, then reduce heat to medium. Cook, stirring often until noodles are al dente and liquid is absorbed, and noodles are al dente according to package directions.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat a seperate skillet over medium heat. Add the tablespoon of olive oil and 2 gloves minced garlic and cook, stirring often, for 30 seconds or so until garlic is just golden, taking care not to burn.
- Add the 10 ounces of mushrooms in a single layer and let sit for a minute or two so the mushrooms can brown. Gently stir, then allow them to sit again to create a golden crust. Once mushrooms are tender, add in the remaining 1/4 cup mushroom broth and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes. Let cook until the broth is completely absorbed.
- Whisk in the tablespoon of balsamic vinegar and 2 tablespoons of heavy cream, if using. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground pepper, as desired.
- Remove from heat and add in the 1/2 cup fresh chopped parsley, 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese and cooked pasta. Toss together until mushrooms and pasta are combined.
Notes
Nutrition