Creamy Mushroom Pasta is one of my favorite meatless entrees! Angel hair pasta is tossed in a decadent parmesan garlic cream sauce with bites of sautéed baby bella mushrooms.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
There’s not much I can think of that’s better than creamy, garlicky parmesan sauce clinging to angel hair pasta with crisp-tender mushrooms. This vegetarian dinner recipe really hits the spot! It’s so quick to make in just 20 minutes (yes, really) and the sauce itself is worth making the entire recipe for. It’s so much better than anything that comes in a jar! This dinner recipe is simple, comforting, and hearty without being too heavy. It checks all the right boxes, and then some!
Skip the meat tonight with more pasta recipes like Creamy Bacon Roasted Broccoli Pasta, Cheesy Tomato Garlic Pasta, and Pasta with Peas.
Can I add meat?
Absolutely! Slice up some baked chicken breast or crispy baked chicken thighs to serve on top of the pasta. Shrimp, salmon, or steak are also all great proteins to pair this pasta with! You could even fry up some tofu to keep things vegetarian-friendly.
How to Make Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Cook the pasta. Cook until al dente. Make sure to reserve a cup of pasta water before draining! This starchy water is what’s going to make the sauce really cling to the noodles.
- Sauté. Sauté the onions in some oil over medium heat until softened. Then, stir in the mushrooms and cook until they’re soft and browned.
- Make it flavorful. Add the garlic and seasonings. Cook until the garlic is fragrant (this happens quickly, so don’t walk away)!
- Make the sauce. Lower the heat. Stir in the cream and bring it to a simmer. Then, remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese until incorporated into the sauce.
- Toss it all together. Stir in the cooked pasta. Add a few small splashes of the pasta water until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Storing Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Once cooled to room temp, transfer your leftovers to an airtight container and keep it in the fridge for up to 4 days. Keep in mind that the creamy sauce may not have the exact same consistency once it’s stored and reheated later.
Ingredient Notes for Creamy Mushroom Pasta
- Angel Hair Pasta – Of course, you can use any other pasta that you’d like. This one just happens to be my favorite with the cream sauce and mushrooms!
- Olive Oil – You can use avocado oil instead if preferred.
- Onion – A white or yellow onion is what you’ll need. Do NOT use a red onion, it’s far too potent.
- Baby Bella Mushrooms – You can use any other mushroom you’d like. Just make sure they’re all chopped to the same bite-sized pieces so they cook evenly and fit nicely on a fork.
- Garlic – Fresh is best! Feel free to measure with your heart. You can use garlic powder instead if you need to, but the flavor will be a bit different.
- Seasonings – I like a simple mix of salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, dried oregano, and dried basil. If you use fresh herbs instead of dried, double the amount you use since fresh herbs are less potent than dried.
- Heavy Cream – If you use half and half instead, note that the sauce won’t be quite as thick and creamy. I really recommend using heavy cream if you can!
- Parmesan Cheese – Freshly grated is what you need. Pre-shredded cheese is coated in a powder to prevent it from clumping in the bag. This can also cause the cheese to seize up in the sauce and not incorporate well at all.
Enjoy!
~Nichole
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 Pound Angel hair pasta
- 2 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Medium onion finely chopped
- 16 Ounces Sliced baby Bella mushrooms
- 6 Cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Red pepper flakes
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp Dried basil
- 1 1/2 Cups Heavy cream
- 1 1/2 Cups Freshly grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions and reserve a cup of pasta water then drain the pasta and set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat and cook the onion until softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in and cook the mushrooms until softened and lightly browned, about 10 minutes.
- Cook the garlic, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, oregano, and basil until fragrant, for about a minute.
- Turn the heat to low, pour in the heavy cream and bring it to a simmer then remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan until melted.
- Add the cooked pasta to the sauce, using reserved pasta water as needed to thin the sauce to your desired consistency.
- Serve with extra parmesan, minced parsley, and more red pepper flakes if desired.
Notes
This creamy mushroom pasta can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
