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A bowl of creamy mushroom pasta dinner, garnished with fresh herbs

Creamy Mushroom Pasta Dinner

A delightful and easy-to-make creamy mushroom pasta dinner, perfect for any weeknight meal. This recipe combines tender pasta with a rich, savory mushroom cream sauce.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 550
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 12 oz short pasta (like penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine)
Mushroom Sauce
  • 1 lb mixed mushrooms such as cremini, shiitake, or even sliced button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 3-4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 small shallot finely diced (Optional)
  • 1/2 cup dry white wine (Optional, like Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio)
  • 1/2 cup low-sodium vegetable or chicken broth
  • 1 cup heavy cream or whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese plus more for serving
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley for garnish
  • salt
  • black pepper

Equipment

  • Large Pot
  • Large Skillet or Dutch Oven

Method
 

Cooking Instructions
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions until al dente.
  2. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
  3. Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet and sauté sliced mushrooms until golden brown, about 5-7 minutes.
  4. If using, add diced shallot during the last 2-3 minutes of mushroom cooking.
  5. Reduce heat to medium, add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
  6. If using, pour in white wine and simmer until almost evaporated, scraping up browned bits.
  7. Stir in vegetable broth and bring to a gentle simmer, then pour in heavy cream and let it thicken for 2-3 minutes.
  8. Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the sauce and stir in grated Parmesan cheese.
  9. If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of reserved pasta water to reach desired consistency.
  10. Season with salt and black pepper to taste and stir in most of the fresh parsley.
  11. Serve immediately, garnished with extra Parmesan and remaining fresh parsley.

Notes

For extra flavor, you can roast the mushrooms before adding them to the sauce. Adjust the amount of cream and reserved pasta water to achieve your preferred sauce consistency.