Creamy Mushroom Pasta Recipe
Updated Mar 15, 2025, Published Feb 19, 2025
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You’ll love this creamy mushroom pasta! A lusciously creamy and glossy mushroom pasta sauce paired with your favorite pasta shape for a perfect, cozy meal. Made in under 30 minutes, it’s ideal for weeknight dinners or special occasions.
Serve with a side salad, pork chops, and crusty bread.
Why you’ll love this pasta recipe…
This homemade mushroom sauce brings out the earthy flavors of mixed mushrooms and the luxurious richness of cream and Parmigiano cheese for an unforgettable pasta dish. It’s a family favorite for a good reason!
- Luxurious Texture: The sauce is glossy and creamy and clings perfectly to every strand of pasta without being too heavy.
- Deep Umami Flavor: A mix of mushrooms creates a rich, earthy taste that’s perfectly balanced with white wine and Parmigiano cheese.
- Restaurant-Quality Made Easy: Simple techniques like deglazing the pan and finishing the pasta in the sauce elevate this dish to gourmet status.
- Versatile and Customizable: Works with any pasta shape and allows for substitutions like dairy-free options or added protein.
You’ll also love our truffle mushroom pasta, creamy mushroom chicken, and stuffed mushrooms.
Table of Contents
Recipe Ingredients
These simple ingredients create a delicious creamy parmesan sauce with savory mushrooms. It’s a mushroom lovers dream.
- Extra-virgin olive oil: Provides a rich base flavor and helps sauté the mushrooms to golden perfection.
- Mixed mushrooms: A variety of mushrooms like the white button mushrooms, baby Bella mushrooms, oysters, crimini mushrooms, or shiitake add earthy, umami richness and a range of textures to the sauce.
- Shallots: Offer a mild, sweet onion flavor that complements the mushrooms and adds depth to the sauce.
- Spaghetti, fettuccini, or bucatini: The pasta is the perfect vessel for the creamy sauce, with each shape offering a different eating experience.
- Heavy cream: Creates a velvety, luxurious texture and creamy base for the sauce.
- Chicken broth: Adds savory depth and thins the sauce slightly, keeping it light yet flavorful.
- Dry White wine: Introduces acidity and brightness, balancing the richness of the cream and mushrooms.
- Fresh parsley: Provides a pop of color and a fresh, herbaceous note to balance the earthy flavors.
- Parmigiano cheese: Adds a nutty, salty richness and helps thicken and flavor the sauce.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Brings a subtle heat and enhances the complexity of the flavors.
- Reserved pasta cooking water: The starchy water helps bind the sauce to the pasta and adjusts the sauce’s consistency as needed.
See the recipe card for quantities.
How to Make Creamy Mushroom Pasta
This easy mushroom pasta makes a simple sauce you will enjoy time and time again!
Add the olive oil to the pan on medium-high heat and start to cook the mushrooms (cook in a single layer).
Cook the mushrooms until golden brown (about 3-4 minutes). Add the shallots.
Deglaze with the chicken broth.
Pour the heavy cream into the cooked mushrooms in the pan.
Let cook to combine.
Boil pasta in plenty of salted water. Cook the pasta al dente. Reserve a bit of the pasta cooking water.
Add lots of parmigiano cheese to the pasta.
Stir pasta with sauce to combine, and add fresh parsley.
FAQs
For a lighter option, you can use whole milk, but the sauce will be less rich. To maintain some creaminess, consider mixing milk with a teaspoon of cornstarch.
The key to creamy pasta is using heavy cream or a combination of cream and cheese like Parmigiano. Adding starchy pasta water to the sauce binds it to the pasta and creates a velvety texture. Cooking the pasta directly in the sauce for the last minute enhances creaminess further.
Long pasta like fettuccini, spaghetti, or bucatini is ideal for creamy sauces as they coat evenly. Short pasta like penne or rigatoni also works well since their ridges and hollow centers hold onto the sauce beautifully.
My Pro Tip
Recipe Tips
- Use a mix of mushrooms for a rich flavor.
- Sauté mushrooms in batches for a golden sear.
- Cook pasta al dente; finish it in the sauce.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
- Deglaze with wine for added depth.
- Avoid pre-shredded cheese.
- Serve immediately for the creamiest texture.
- Garnish with extra Parmigiano and parsley for a fresh finish.
Substitutions and Variations
- Mushrooms: Use just one type (like cremini or white button) if needed, or replace with sautéed zucchini or spinach for a different twist.
- Cream: Swap heavy cream with half-and-half or full-fat coconut milk for a lighter or dairy-free option.
- Chicken Broth: Substitute with vegetable broth for a vegetarian version.
- White Wine: Use dry vermouth or a splash of lemon juice for acidity if you don’t have wine.
- Pasta: Try short pasta shapes like penne or rigatoni, or gluten-free pasta for dietary needs.
- Parmigiano Cheese: Replace with Pecorino Romano for a sharper flavor, or use nutritional yeast for a vegan alternative.
- Herbs: Swap parsley with thyme or sage for a more aromatic profile.
- Protein Add-Ins: Add cooked chicken, shrimp, or crispy pancetta for extra heartiness.
- Spicy Kick: Sprinkle in red pepper flakes for some heat.
Storage and Reheating Instructions
Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: Cream-based sauces don’t freeze well, so freezing is not recommended, as the sauce may separate upon thawing.
Reheating
- Stovetop: Add a splash of water, milk, or broth to the pasta and gently warm it in a skillet over medium heat, stirring until the sauce becomes creamy again.
- Microwave: Place pasta in a microwave-safe dish, add a small splash of liquid, cover loosely, and heat in 30-second intervals, stirring between each, until warmed through.
More Pasta Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Serving Suggestions
These are my favorite dishes to serve with this creamy pasta dish:
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Creamy Mushroom Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms, white button, baby bella, oyster, crimini, and/or shiitake, thinly sliced
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
- 1 pound spaghetti, fettuccini, or bucatini
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- ¼ cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc
- ⅓ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
- ½ cup Parmigiano cheese, parmesan cheese, finely grated (plus more for serving)
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Reserved pasta cooking water, if needed
Instructions
- Sauté the Mushrooms: Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms in a single layer (work in batches if necessary. Do not overcrowd the pan or the mushrooms will steam and not brown). Sauté undisturbed for 3–4 minutes to allow the mushrooms to brown, then stir and cook for another 3–4 minutes until tender and golden. Season with salt.
- Add Shallots and Deglaze: Lower the heat to medium. Add the chopped shallots and parsley to the mushrooms and sauté until softened, about 2 minutes. Pour in the white wine and cook for 2 minutes, scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze and evaporate most of the liquid. If you don't have wine, you can use lemon juice or more broth.
- Create the Sauce: Stir in the chicken broth and heavy cream, bringing the mixture to a gentle simmer. Let it cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens slightly and becomes glossy.
- Cook the Pasta: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente according to package instructions. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining the pasta.
- Combine Pasta and Sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the skillet, tossing to coat the pasta in the sauce. Stir in the Parmigiano cheese. Toss until the cheese melts and the sauce clings to the pasta. If needed, add a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen the sauce. If you feel that the sauce isn't thickening, cover the pasta dish with a lid for 5 minutes, and it will come together with the heat of the pasta.
- Season and Serve: Taste and add freshly ground black pepper, if desired. Serve immediately, garnished with additional Parmigiano cheese and parsley if desired.
Notes
- Use a mix of mushrooms for a rich flavor.
- Sauté mushrooms in batches for a golden sear.
- Cook pasta al dente; finish it in the sauce.
- Reserve pasta water to adjust sauce consistency.
- Deglaze with wine for added depth.
- Avoid pre-shredded cheese.
- Serve immediately for the creamiest texture.
- Garnish with extra Parmigiano and parsley for a fresh finish.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is a family favorite! My ten year old loves mushrooms and pasta like her mama so this is a hit! Easy and delicious 😋
Yay! I am so happy that your child loved it so much- that is always the best compliment.
I’ll so happy I finally tried this recipe that I’ve had pinned forever! So good! I only had shredded parm but I’m sure freshly grated would have taken it over the top. I actually added some left over shredded pot roast to the mushrooms and it was so satisfying. I will absolutely make this as written when I have more portobellos and a block of Parmesan. This will be my go-to for this style pasta, thank you!
Yay! SO happy you loved this recipe.
Delicious thanks again ❤️
Happy you loved this easy mushroom recipe!
Delicious—I substituted a mix of dry mushrooms (brought back to life after soaking) but followed the rest of the recipe to a T. Excellent as always!
So happy you loved this recipe! It is a favorite.
Absolutely amazing flavor! Such an easy quick recipe
Yes! We love this quick pasta dinner and the sauce takes it to the next level.
Comforting and delicious this creamy mushroom pasta is always a favorite!