This Creamy Mushroom Pasta is the perfect easy dinner to feed a family of four. Hidden in this smooth and silky mushroom sauce is an absolute explosion of deliciousness just waiting to be devoured!
Seriously, is there anything more comforting than a pan full of pasta coated in a creamy mushroom sauce? Like, if I died and went to heaven, I’d hope that heaven would involve me burying my face into a black hole of creamy garlicky herby mushroom pasta. If you’re the same then you’ve arrived at the right place. Follow me…
Mushroom Pasta
Of course, the mushrooms are the star of the show in this recipe, so let’s treat them like the star.
You see it quite a bit with mushrooms, just chopped and chucked in the pan, and I’m often guilty of this in recipes where mushrooms aren’t the star ingredient. But here there are no excuses. The two most important tips I’ve learnt with regards to preparing mushrooms are as follows:
How to Prepare Mushrooms (2 important steps)
- Clean with a damp cloth – You might need to clean the mushrooms, but if you do, it’s important to just lightly pat them clean. Mushrooms are packed with water, around 90-92% in most cases, so the last thing you want to do is wash them under a tap. This will only allow the mushrooms to absorb more unwanted water. As tedious as it may seem, the benefits are huge.
- Uniformed Size – Slicing the mushrooms the same size, and more specifically the same thickness, will ensure everything cooks at an even rate. In general, you want the slices on the thicker side of life, purely for the reason that mushrooms shrink quite considerably. Keeping them thick will help them keep their shape.
Preparing the mushrooms is one thing, but it’s important to treat them right as you fry them too…
3 tips for perfectly fried mushrooms
- Don’t overcrowd the pan – putting too many mushrooms in the pan at once will cause the mushrooms to steam instead of fry. The amount I’ve used in this recipe (photo below) is just at the limit of what I recommend a good amount to fry at once. If you find yourself with too many mushrooms then simply fry in batches.
- Don’t annoy them – they’re probably annoyed that they’ve been sliced and thrown in a hot pan already, once they’re in there don’t shake them about every 2 seconds. Plonk them in, spread them out and leave them to brown on one side. Then stir them to brown the other side.
- Salt – adding salt to the mushrooms will draw out moisture, so do it after they’ve browned. I find that adding salt at the beginning allows too much moisture to come out, which again encourages steaming instead of frying.
Dang, who knew frying mushrooms was so intricate!? Or maybe I’m just a mushroom snob… Yeah, probably the latter.
Process shots: fry mushrooms (photo 1), add butter (photo 2), fry garlic (photo 3), simmer stock then add cream (photo 4), stir in herbs, seasoning and parmesan (photo 5), stir in cooked pasta (photo 6).
How to make Creamy Mushroom Pasta
I tested so many versions of this sauce I can’t even begin to tell you. Mainly just as an excuse to eat more of it, but also in the name of science… Or something like that. My initial instinct for a creamy mushroom pasta was of course to pile in as much cream as possible and be done with it. (lol)
There was indeed more thought that went into the testing than that, but I did find that the consistencies that were heavily cream-based, apart from being too rich, also fell a little bland. An even ratio of cream/chicken stock gave a perfect consistency and a gorgeous depth of flavour, emphasising the ‘meatiness’ of the Chestnut/Shiitake mushrooms.
Reducing the sauce
It’s important to pour in the stock first and let it reduce. Not only will this help the sauce thicken quicker, but will also intensify the flavour of the sauce. The simmering stock will extract some of that gorgeous flavour from the mushrooms.
Starchy Pasta Water
As you stir through the pasta, the sauce will begin to thicken quite quickly. If the sauce dries out, just stir through an extra splash of starchy pasta water to thin it out. The starch in the water will also help turn the sauce gorgeously glossy and creamy.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta FAQ
I usually go with Conchiglie for the pure reason its shape works so perfectly in this recipe. The way it collects the sauce in its shell is almost like a gift from the heavens above. But heck, use whatever pasta your heart desires!
As you can see, I keep it simple with parsley and chives. I tend to keep this a simple creamy mushroom pasta recipe and steer away from other herbs that might overpower the dish. However, if you did want to branch out Thyme or Tarragon both work great. But don’t use too much!
Bacon goes nicely, as does some shredded chicken. Great veg options are spinach, asparagus or peas!
Personally, I always go for Chestnut Mushrooms. They tend to have a deeper, ‘meatier’ kind of flavour in comparison to say regular white mushrooms. I also quite like using Shiitake or Baby Portobello Mushrooms. Shiitake mushrooms have a gorgeous smoky and almost quite a meaty flavour to them as well. However, if you are using Shiitake mushrooms then remove the stalk as it’s incredibly tough. In reality, you can use whatever mushroom you’d fancy though!
Serving Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Serve up hot with extra parsley and plenty of extra parmesan! (garlic bread/cheesy garlic bread is always welcome).
Can I store leftovers?
If you’ve got leftovers just allow to completely cool then tightly store in the fridge for up to a few days. To reheat, add to a low heat on the stove and stir in a splash of milk, stock or cream to loosen up the sauce.
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full creamy mushroom pasta recipe shall we?!
How to make Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Full Recipe & Video)
Creamy Mushroom Pasta (simple and delicious!)
Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
- Large Pot & Colander (to cook pasta)
- Jug (for stock)
- Serving Spoon
Ingredients
- Olive Oil, as needed
- 12.3oz / 350g Mushrooms of choice, sliced (see notes)
- 3 tbsp / 45g Butter
- 3 large cloves of Garlic, finely diced
- 12.3oz / 350g Conchiglie, or pasta of choice (dry weight)
- 240ml / 1 cup Chicken Stock
- 240ml / 1 cup Double/Heavy Cream, at room temp
- 40g / 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
- 2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, plus extra to serve
- 2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Chives
- Salt & Black Pepper, to taste
Instructions
- Add a good drizzle of oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms and space them out as best you can. Leave to fry for a couple of mins until they begin to sweat, then stir them to flip them over. Continue frying until they build up a golden crust (important to develop flavour). Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, then push them to the outside of the pan and lower the heat to medium.
- Melt in the butter then add the garlic. Fry for a minute or so (careful it doesn't burn), then incorporate everything and pour in the chicken stock. Allow the stock to simmer for a few minutes until it reduces by half (just eyeball it).
- Meanwhile, pop your pasta in salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Retain a cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
- To the pan, add the cream, chives, parsley, parmesan and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer and occasionally stir until the sauce thickens. Add in the drained pasta and stir until the sauce thickens around and clings to the pasta. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of pasta water to thin out slightly. You might not need to do this. If the sauce is still quite thin, continue to simmer and stir until it thickens and wraps around the pasta.
- Check for seasoning and adjust if needed (make sure the sauce is properly seasoned to bring out the best in this simple sauce). Serve with plenty of parmesan and parsley then tuck in and enjoy!
Video
Notes
Your Private Notes:
Nutrition
Looking for more?
You’ll find plenty more delicious comfort food like this in my Debut Cookbook ‘Comfy’
For more mushroom pasta recipes check out my Tomato Mushroom Pasta and Mushroom Tagliatelle!
For more similar recipes check out these beauties:
Mushroom Pasta Recipes
- Chicken and Mushroom Pasta
- Creamy Mushroom Orzo
- Gorgonzola Pasta with Mushrooms, Leek and Pancetta
- One Pot Pasta with Mushrooms, Asparagus and Bacon
- Browned Butter Pasta with Mushrooms, Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese
Creamy Pasta Recipes
- Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta
- Creamy Salmon Pasta
- Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta
- Creamy Sausage and Fennel Pasta
- Creamy Tomato Pasta
- Creamy Bacon Pasta
Wow! Just wow! This was so amazing. Used beef broth because that is all I had and it was still amazing. Not sure how different the chicken would be but this was really really good! And easy too! Thank you!
Ah that’s so great to hear! Thanks so much for popping back for a review 🙂 C.
This is a awesome recipe. I wish we had more sauce. It was really good and filled me up.
Glad to hear it went down well, Tracie! Thanks for popping back for a review 🙂
I give it a 4 only because I can not get the sauce to thicken for the life of me. Made it twice. The first time I know I didn’t allocate enough time for it but the second time it’s been simmering for 10-15 mins!! Anything I can do to prevent this from happening again? It’s too good to give up on it.
Have faith – it will thicken! Increase to a more rapid simmer if you need and keep gently stirring. It may take slightly longer, but it will reduce down. Also simmer for a few mins as you stir in the pasta, the starch will help emulsify and thicken the sauce. Glad you’re enjoying the recipe either way and thank you for the review! Chris x
Tasty recipe but I would double mushroom. I served with grilled chicken.
Glad it went down well! 🙂
I feel like jumping into my phone and grabbing a bowl! It looks delicious
I’ll be making this tonight. Thanks for sharing.
Marie
Thanks Marie! Enjoy 🙂
This recipe makes me wonder…why are we not neighbors? Srsly, this looks like my favorite weeknight meal (that never lasts beyond one day lol). Pinning and sharing this one! Thanks for the inspiration!
Haha omg can we just be neighbours and live off creamy mushroom pasta!? Thanks so much for sharing, Traci 🙂
Haha, don’t annoy your mushrooms. That’s great advice! Really browned mushrooms are the only way I’ll eat them. Great recipe!
Haha, it’s the best way I could describe it! Thanks, Jill 🙂
This pasta looks so good! And shells are my all time favorite type of pasta.
Shells for the win!!
Pasta dishes are always a favourite of ours! This one sounds great 🙂
Thanks, Amy! 🙂
Oh my, my tummy started rumbling reading this! Love mushrooms, and love a rich creamy sauce to my pasta. Great recipe!
Jane x
Thanks, Jane! Mushrooms in a rich creamy sauce is what tummy rumbling is made of!!