Mushroom Pasta Recipe
Experience the perfect harmony of earthy mushrooms and rich garlic butter sauce with this comforting pasta dish that promises to satisfy your cravings with every bite.
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Servings: 3 Servings
Ingredients
Pasta
- 160 g / 6 oz long pasta such as spaghetti or fettuccine
- 200 g / 7 oz short pasta like orecchiette penne, or macaroni
Garlic Butter Mushrooms for pasta
- 400 g / 14 oz mushrooms sliced 1/2 cm / 1/5" thick
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 50 g / 3 tbsp unsalted butter divided
- 2 garlic cloves minced finely
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese or 1/4 cup pre-grated store-bought
To serve
- Fresh parsley finely chopped
- Additional grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
Pasta
- In a large pot, bring salted water to a vigorous boil. Once the water is boiling, add your pasta to the pot as you begin cooking the mushrooms. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions but reduce the cooking time by one minute. Reserve one mugful of the pasta water before draining.
Mushrooms
- In a large skillet, heat half the butter along with all the olive oil over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, add the mushrooms and cook them, allowing the water to release and evaporate. Continue cooking until the mushrooms develop a golden edge, about 5 minutes. Midway through cooking, season with salt and pepper.
- Next, add the minced garlic and the remaining butter, cooking for another 2 minutes until the garlic and mushrooms turn a lovely golden color.
- Incorporate the cooked pasta into the skillet, along with about 3/4 cup of the reserved pasta water and the freshly grated parmesan. Toss gently until the liquid thickens into a glossy sauce that clings to the pasta. If the pasta seems dry, add more of the reserved pasta water as needed.
- Taste, and adjust the seasoning with additional salt and pepper if necessary. Serve immediately, garnished with a sprinkle of fresh parsley and extra parmesan.
Notes
- When using short pasta, slightly more is needed to match the serving size of long pasta. This recipe uses spaghetti and orecchiette, with orecchiette being ideal for scooping up sauce and mushrooms. Swiss Brown or Cremini mushrooms offer a richer flavor than button mushrooms, and thyme pairs wonderfully with the dish. A splash of cream can be added for extra richness, though it’s optional. The butter quantity is flexible—more butter means more flavor, but 2 tablespoons of butter plus 1 tablespoon of olive oil is the minimum to prevent dryness.
- To reheat pasta, which tends to dry out when refrigerated, reserve 1/4 cup of pasta cooking water. Before microwaving, sprinkle 2 tablespoons of the reserved water over the cold pasta and toss well to restore its juiciness. No need for precise butter measurements—just eyeball it. The nutritional information is based on 2 generous servings, making it a satisfying meal option.