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Creamy Mushroom Pasta

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4.8 from 12 reviews

Look no further for your next pasta dish, this easy creamy mushroom pasta recipe is guaranteed to impress. The creamy mushroom sauce is undeniably delicious– the mushrooms are sautéed in butter with garlic and spices, paired with white wine (or chicken broth), heavy cream and reserved pasta water with a touch of fresh lemon juice to finish it off. It's a flavorful pasta dish that uses minimal basic ingredients to create a recipe easy enough for a weeknight dinner and fancy enough for a special occasion.

Ingredients

Units
  • 1 pound pasta, fettuccine or linguine
  • 4 Tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 Tablespoon olive oil
  • 16 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
  • 3 cloves garlic, sliced
  • 1 Tablespoon minced fresh thyme
  • 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup dry white wine (or chicken broth)
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 cup reserved pasta water
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • optional garnish: parmesan cheese, lemon zest, chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  1. Cook the Pasta: Cook the pasta in heavily salted water until al dente, typically about 1 minute less than recommended on the box. If cooking the pasta ahead of time– drain (reserving 1/4 cup pasta water), add to a large bowl and stir in 1 Tablespoon of unsalted butter to prevent them from sticking. Set aside. The remaining steps can be done while the pasta cooks. I usually add in the pasta during step 3, right before I add the flour.
  2. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and let it cook for 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until soft and the juices are released, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the thyme, Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper.
  3. Whisk in the flour and cook until it's completely absorbed, about 1 minute. Whisk in the wine (or chicken broth) and bring to a simmer, about 3-5 minutes. Then, stir in the heavy cream and and parmesan cheese and let it simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. Add the drained pasta to the mushroom sauce and stir to combine, making sure the pasta is completely coated. Slowly stir in the reserved pasta water, 1 Tablespoon at a time until the sauce is creamy. Stir in the fresh parsley, lemon juice and lemon zest. 
  5. Serve immediately. Garnish with parmesan cheese, lemon zest and fresh parsley. Leftovers stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes

  1. Make Ahead Instructions: Leftovers can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. The mushrooms can be sliced in advance, up to 5 days. I don't recommend freezing this recipe as the mushroom sauce will not have the same consistency.
  2. Pasta: This recipe is pretty forgiving when it comes to the pasta. I've used a variety of shapes of pasta for this recipe, but always go back to a long-style like fettuccine or linguini. If you need this to be gluten free, you can easily swap with your favorite brand. Make sure you heavily salt the water for the pasta, around 1 Tablespoon (a must for all pasta!)
  3. Heavy Cream: For best results, use heavy cream or half and half. In a pinch, you can use whole milk but it won't be as creamy.
  4. Mushrooms: There's no judgement on the type of mushrooms you use in this recipe, any time of mushrooms will work. I typically grab button, baby bella or cremini mushrooms since that's what I usually have sitting in the refrigerator.
  5. Flour: We are just using regular all-purpose flour. The flour is strictly there to create the roux.  If you're not familiar with a roux, pronounced "roo", it's a way to thicken things like gravy, sauce, macaroni and cheese or soup – just like in my creamy macaroni and cheese recipe. If needed, you can use certified gluten free flour like King Arthur Measure for Measure. 
  6. Thyme: You can replace any of the fresh herbs with dried keeping in mind that dried herbs are more potent. The rule of thumb: for  fresh herbs to dried herbs cut in half (1 Tablespoon fresh thyme → 2 teaspoons dried thyme.)
  7. Wine: Using dry white wine will give you the most flavor, but you can also use chicken or vegetable broth. If you're using wing, it's best to use a regular wine, not a wine that's advertised for cooking. No need to grab an expensive wine, the $8 bottle will do, or even a single serve like Wander + Ivy.

Find it online: https://runlifteatrepeat.com/creamy-mushroom-pasta/