Easy Creamy Mushroom Pasta is a quick, easy recipe of fettuccine tossed in a cremini mushroom and white wine cream sauce. Try it tonight!
This easy pasta dish is comforting, creamy, and makes the perfect simple side or meatless main! For more meat-free creamy Pasta favorites made in a skillet, try my Truffle Pasta and Creamy Pumpkin Pasta.
Table of contents
Sabrina’s Creamy Mushroom Pasta Recipe
It is truly amazing how rich and earthy flavor mushrooms can transform a classic creamy sauce into the ultimate pasta dish. In this recipe, cremini mushrooms are caramelized and then cooked into a fantastic white wine cream sauce for a delicious pasta dinner that feels ultra indulgent. It’s a mouthwatering, flavorful pasta dish that your family will love, plus it’s ready in less than 30 minutes, making it perfect for a busy mid-week dinner!
Ingredients
- Fettuccine Pasta: Fettuccine noodles are the ideal pasta for this dish. They’re thicker than spaghetti noodles, making them perfect for holding heavy, creamy sauces like in this Creamy Mushroom Pasta recipe.
- Mushrooms: As you cook the cremini mushrooms in butter, they caramelize and create a rich, earthy flavor that you can mix into the rest of the sauce.
- Seasonings: To flavor the sauce, add minced garlic cloves, dried thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. It’s just a few seasonings, but they add a lot of bold, classic Italian flavor to the pasta dish.
- Liquid ingredients: The two main cooking liquids in the recipe are white wine and chicken broth. The white wine adds a nice acidity to the sauce, enhancing the dish’s other flavors. Then the chicken broth balances that out with a more comforting flavor. Feel free to make this vegetarian by using vegetable broth.
- Creamy ingredients: Mixing heavy cream and sour cream into the mushroom sauce is the perfect way to give it a thick and creamy consistency with a bit of tang from the sour cream. I added a cup of parmesan cheese along with the cream for a fantastic cheesy, nutty taste.
How to Make Mushroom Pasta
Time needed: 30 minutes.
- Cook Pasta
Start by bringing a pot of water to a boil. Then, cook the pasta in boiling water for just 1 minute, shy of the box instructions. Drain the pasta water, and set the cooked fettuccine to the side without rinsing.
- Saute Mushrooms
Add butter to a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Then add the sliced mushrooms and stir while you cook them for 8-10 minutes. Once the mushrooms have caramelized, season them with thyme, kosher salt, and black pepper. Stir to coat the mushrooms evenly in seasoning. Add the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Make Sauce
Add the white wine, stir with a wooden spoon, scraping any stuck bits off the pan to deglaze it. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes until the white wine has mostly cooked down. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, and sour cream, stirring well to combine the mushroom sauce.
- Combine Ingredients
Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium heat. Then add the cooked pasta and parmesan cheese. Stir the mixture to combine.
- Serve
Serve the pasta and sauce hot, garnished with extra cheese and fresh parsley.
Recipe Card
Ingredients
- 8 ounces fettuccine pasta
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms , sliced
- 2 teaspoons dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- 3 cloves garlic , finely minced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese , shredded
Instructions
- Cook the pasta 1 minute shy of the cooking time on the box, drain and set aside (do not rinse).
- Add butter to a large heavy skillet on medium high heat.
- Add the mushrooms, stir and cook for 8-10 minutes until caramelized.
- Season with thyme, salt and pepper and stir.
- Add in garlic, cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add in white wine, stir to deglaze with a wooden spoon scraping any stuck bits to the pan.
- Cook for 2 minutes until wine is mostly cooked down.
- Add in chicken broth, heavy cream and sour cream, stirring well to combine.
- Bring to a simmer, then add in the pasta and Parmesan cheese, stirring to combine.
- Serve with additional cheese if desired.
Nutrition
Chef’s Note: Why Mushrooms?
I find pasta dishes are always big crowd-pleasers, and a rich mushroom sauce is a good way to change things up from classic spaghetti and meatballs. It also only takes a few minutes to make the sauce, so it’s easy on you and tasty. The mushrooms take the place of meat, making it still a pretty hearty dish. However, I do use chicken broth so if you wanted this to be truly vegetarian, you’ll need to use veggie stock. I recommend mushroom broth concentrate to give it even more of that amazing, earthy savory flavor!
Can this be made ahead of time?
- Make the Sauce: You can prepare the creamy mushroom sauce in advance. Store it in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Cook the Pasta Separately: It’s best to cook and serve pasta fresh, but you can store it. Cook the pasta al dente (slightly undercooked), as it will continue to soften when mixed with the sauce later. Toss it with a bit of olive oil to prevent sticking.
Nutritional Facts
Cooking Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Salt the Water: Make sure to salt your pasta water generously.
- Reserve Pasta Cooking Water: Save a cup of pasta water before draining. This starchy water can help adjust the sauce’s consistency later.
- Avoid Overcooking: Be careful not to overcook the pasta or sauce. Cream sauces can curdle if heated too much.
- Cook All at Once: Boil the pasta while you saute the mushrooms. This will ensure your dish is done in less than 30 minutes.
How to Store
- Store: Don’t leave Creamy Mushroom Pasta at room temperature for over 2 hours after cooking. If you have any leftovers, you can seal the pasta in an airtight container to store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheat: It’s best to reheat this creamy sauce pasta slowly on the stove over low heat. Stir occasionally until it is warmed all the way through, adding a splash of broth to loosen up the sauce as needed.
- Freeze: Due to the cream in the sauce, this recipe is definitely at its best served fresh. However, if you need to store it in the freezer, you can. Store in an airtight container and freeze for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge before reheating. It’ll probably separate a little as it thaws, but you can stir it as you reheat it on the stovetop to bring it all back together.
Serving Ideas
- Salad: You can go simple with mixed greens or arugula tossed in a light vinaigrette to balance the richness.Or, go with an equally rich and creamy Chicken Caesar Salad.
- Meat: The mushrooms and cream sauce would go great with Grilled Chicken or Ribeye sliced on top. For an extra special dinner, serve it as the side for my Herb Crusted Pork Loin.
- Veggies: If you want to keep the dish meat free but still add some bulk to your meal, add some roasted veggies like Roasted Broccoli or Balsamic Brussels Sprouts.
Frequent Questions
Cremini mushrooms are ideal for this recipe. They have a slightly darker color and richer flavor than white mushrooms. They also hold up well while cooking in liquid, making them perfect for creamy sauces, stews, and other similar recipes. If you don’t have cremini mushrooms, you can also use fresh shiitake mushrooms or portabello mushrooms. Because of the mushrooms’ larger size, just be sure that you cut them small enough for the recipe.
For the best flavor and texture, you should use fresh mushrooms. However, frozen mushrooms can be used, just make sure to get a hearty variety like cremini or a mix of brown mushrooms. Do not use canned mushrooms, they won’t taste right and will be far too soft.
Technically no, because I use chicken broth. But you can easily swap it with veggie broth to make it a vegetarian dish.
Variations
- Vegetarian: To make this a fully vegetarian pasta recipe, use vegetable stock instead of chicken broth. I would use a stock concentrate since they have more flavor and I really like using mushroom stock.
- Seasonings: You can add various spices and herbs, such as Italian parsley, rosemary, basil, paprika, and red pepper flakes.
- Cheese: If you want different kinds of cheesy flavor, try mixing in mozzarella, cheddar, provolone, or Monterey Jack cheese with the parmesan.
- Wine Replacement: Most of the alcohol cooks out of the wine. However, if you don’t want to cook with wine, you could use white grape juice or increase the broth.