A rich, comforting meat-free dinner of creamy pasta loaded with mushrooms. The sauce is thick and silky, finished with a sprinkling of parmesan (see the vegetarian alternative below), so it clings to the pasta perfectly.
This creamy mushroom pasta is ready in 15 minutes, making it a perfect fast weeknight meal.
If you want something indulgent, simple and quick, this dish delivers — creamy, garlicky mushrooms tossed with pasta for a cosy supper that’s on the table in minutes.
Table of Contents
- 📋 Ingredients
- 📺 How to make mushroom pasta
- Pro Tip
- 🍄🟫 How to make it vegetarian
- 🍽️ What to serve with mushroom pasta
- 🍲 More fantastic Meat-free recipes
- ? Frequently Asked Questions
- Creamy Mushroom Pasta Recipe
I adore a creamy pasta, and mushrooms and garlic make this my favourite quick treat on busy nights. It’s flexible, comforting and easy to adapt for the rest of the family.
When the rest of my family prefers something else, I’ll make this just for me, or I’ll add crispy bacon and peas if I’m cooking for everyone so there’s something for all tastes.
📋 Ingredients
- Pasta – choose your favourite. Long ribbons like tagliatelle, fettuccine, linguine or pappardelle work especially well with creamy sauces, but short shapes such as penne are fine too. This recipe uses thin egg fettuccine.
- Mushrooms – chestnut (cremini) mushrooms are used here, but button, baby portobello, shiitake, oyster or chanterelles are all excellent. You can mix varieties for extra depth of flavour.
📺 How to make mushroom pasta
Detailed recipe steps and quantities are in the recipe card below.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water before draining.
- In a large frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of butter with the oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until it begins to soften.
- Add the remaining butter, then toss in the sliced mushrooms, minced garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes until the mushrooms have softened.
- Pour in the stock and the double (heavy) cream, bring to the boil then simmer gently for a few minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan, sprinkle over the grated parmesan and toss well so the sauce coats every strand. Use reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce if needed.
- Serve topped with chopped parsley, extra black pepper and more grated cheese if you like.
Pro Tip
Keep some of the pasta cooking water. The starchy water helps loosen or thicken the sauce while helping it cling to the pasta, giving a silky finish and better texture.
🍄🟫 How to make it vegetarian
- Cheese: Traditional parmesan often contains animal rennet. Use a vegetarian Italian-style hard cheese or a strong vegetarian cheddar as an alternative.
- Stock: Replace chicken stock with vegetable stock. A splash of white wine adds extra depth if you like.
- Pasta: Most dried pasta is egg-free unless labelled as egg pasta; check labels if you avoid eggs. Fresh pasta commonly contains eggs.
🍽️ What to serve with mushroom pasta
- Homemade garlic bread or any crusty loaf to mop up the sauce.
- A simple green salad or butter lettuce salad to add freshness and crunch.
- Roasted broccoli or steamed greens for extra vegetables.
- A cheeky cocktail or a glass of wine if you fancy one while you eat.
I can happily eat this by the bowlful — it’s creamy, satisfying and fast to prepare. Perfect for tonight’s dinner.
🍲 More fantastic Meat-free recipes
Pasta
Vegetable Pasta Bake
Vegetarian
Chickpea and Sweet Potato Curry
Vegetarian
Cheesy Veggie Burgers
Pasta
Roasted Vegetable Pesto Pasta
Soups
Spicy Parsnip and Sweet Potato Soup
Vegetarian
Mushroom Chow Mein
? Frequently Asked Questions
Chestnut (cremini) mushrooms are great, but button, baby portobello, shiitake, oyster or chanterelles all work well. Mixing varieties adds extra flavour.
This dish is best served immediately. Leftovers can be cooled, covered and refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat in the microwave for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a splash of water, stock or cream when reheating if the sauce needs loosening.
Long pasta like tagliatelle, fettuccine, linguine or pappardelle pairs beautifully with creamy sauces, but short shapes such as penne are fine if preferred.
No. For this recipe, mushrooms are sautéed directly in butter and oil until tender and golden.
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Creamy Mushroom Pasta Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g (10.5 oz) tagliatelle or fettuccine
- 3 tbsp (45 g) unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 400 g (14 oz) chestnut mushrooms, thickly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 180 ml (¾ cup) strong chicken stock (or vegetable stock for vegetarian)
- 180 ml (¾ cup) double (heavy) cream
- 50 g (½ cup) grated parmesan (use vegetarian hard cheese for a vegetarian version)
To Serve:
- Small bunch fresh parsley, chopped
- Extra black pepper
- Extra grated parmesan or vegetarian alternative
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions. Reserve 1 cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta.
- While the pasta cooks, heat 1 tbsp butter and the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- Add the chopped onion and cook for 2–3 minutes until starting to soften. Add the remaining butter and melt.
- Add the mushrooms, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring until softened.
- Pour in the stock and cream, bring to a boil then simmer for 3 minutes until slightly thickened.
- Add the drained pasta to the pan, sprinkle over the parmesan and toss with tongs until the pasta is well coated.
- If the sauce is too thick, add splashes of the reserved pasta water until you reach the desired consistency.
- Divide between bowls and finish with chopped parsley, extra black pepper and more grated cheese if desired.
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
Pasta like this is best served immediately. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to two days. Reheat in the microwave for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, and add a splash of water, stock or cream if the sauce needs loosening.
Can I freeze it?
I don’t recommend freezing this dish — cream-based sauces don’t always reheat well after freezing.
Ingredient swaps
- Add crispy bacon or shredded cooked chicken for a meaty version.
- Stir in peas, asparagus or baby spinach for extra greens.
- Swap cream for crème fraîche for a slightly lighter finish — heat gently if using lower-fat dairy to avoid splitting.
Nutrition
Nutrition values are approximate and should be used as a guide only.
This creamy mushroom pasta recipe was first published in October 2021 and updated in October 2024 with extra information and FAQs.
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