You won’t believe how rich and luscious this garlic mushroom pasta recipe is. The mushrooms and pasta are coated in a mouthwatering buttery sauce made without any cream! Even better, it’s so easy to make, so it’s perfect for a weeknight dinner but is also fancy enough for serving company.
Don’t let the short ingredient list fool you, this pasta dish makes for a filling meal. The mushrooms are the star of the recipe as they make the dish more hearty and add a ton of savory, umami flavor, so make sure to choose some good ones! Got extra? Make my mushroom rice recipe or creamy mushroom and leek chicken recipe after!
Key Ingredients You Need
- Pasta — Feel free to use any pasta you have on hand. I use spaghetti noodles, but pappardelle, linguine, angel hair, and other shapes go wonderfully in this garlic and mushroom pasta.
- Butter — You can use salted or unsalted butter, just make sure to adjust your added salt accordingly.
- Mushrooms — I use baby Bella mushrooms, but you can use any type of mushrooms, just make sure to thoroughly brown them for the best flavor. You can even buy pre-sliced mushrooms to save prep time.
- Garlic — Freshly minced garlic is preferred over pre-minced garlic as it tastes more fresh and flavorful.
- Parmesan — The addition of the cheese helps thicken the pan sauce, so it perfectly coats your pasta noodles.
How to Make Garlic Mushroom Pasta
Step 1: Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Optional to add a little salt to the water for cooking.
Step 2: While the pasta is cooking, heat half of the butter and the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in mushrooms and sauté for approximately 5 minutes until tender.
Step 3: Add the garlic to the skillet.
Step 4: Add the remaining butter and sauté for about a minute longer.
Step 5: Drain the pasta but reserve about a ¼ cup of the pasta water to cook with. Add the drained pasta along with the pasta water into the pan with the mushrooms.
Step 6: Add grated cheese and parsley into the pan and stir well until cheese is melted and the pasta sauce thickens. Add in salt and pepper to taste. Garnish the garlic mushroom pasta with more grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
Tips For This Recipe
- Always double-check the pasta’s package instructions as different shapes require different cooking times.
- Try not to slice the mushrooms too thinly, so they hold up well. Mushrooms shrink as they cook, so they may shrivel up and not have a hearty texture if sliced too thinly.
- If the mushrooms are dirty, wipe them clean with a damp towel. Soaking mushrooms to clean will lead to the mushrooms taking on water and making them feel squeaky when you bite into them.
- Make sure you are using a large enough skillet to avoid overcrowding the pan. The mushrooms will steam if overcrowded.
- The starchy pasta water is a must as it acts as a thickener and creates a silky sauce for this garlic and mushroom pasta. Regular water will not yield the same results, so make sure to reserve some pasta water when you drain the pasta.
Frequently Asked Questions
You can add a splash of heavy cream or half and half along with the pasta water to make the mushroom garlic pasta creamier and thicker.
For sure! Some chicken or shrimp will make for a great addition to the pasta. You can also add other vegetables such as spinach, kale, or onions as well. You can also add fresh herbs if you have any on hand.
To make this garlic mushroom pasta vegan, you can swap the butter for vegan butter and parmesan cheese for nutritional yeast.
If you have pasta leftover, you can store it in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
I recommend reheating the pasta on the stovetop. You can add a splash of broth or water to loosen up the pasta noodles. You can reheat the pasta in the microwave as well.
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Garlic Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces of pasta
- 3 tbsp butter divided
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 8 oz baby bella mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- ½ cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook pasta until al dente, according to package instructions. Optional to add a little salt to the water for cooking.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat half of the butter (1.5 tbsp) and the olive oil in a pan over medium heat. Add in mushrooms and sauté for approx. 5 minutes until tender. Then add in the garlic and remaining butter and sauté for about a minute longer.
- Drain the pasta but reserve about a ¼ cup of the pasta water to cook with. Add in the drained pasta along with the pasta water into the pan with the mushrooms.
- Add in grated cheese and parsley into pan and stir well until cheese is melted and pasta sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Add in salt and pepper to taste.
- Garnish with more grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.
Notes
- Always double-check the pasta’s package instructions as different shapes require different cooking times.
- Try not to slice the mushrooms too thinly, so they hold up well. Mushrooms shrink as they cook, so they may shrivel up and not have a hearty texture if sliced too thinly.
- If the mushrooms are dirty, wipe them clean with a damp towel. Soaking mushrooms to clean will lead to the mushrooms taking on water and making them feel squeaky when you bite into them.
- Make sure you are using a large enough skillet to avoid overcrowding the pan. The mushrooms will steam if overcrowded.
- The starchy pasta water is a must as it acts as a thickener and creates a silky sauce for this garlic and mushroom pasta. Regular water will not yield the same results, so make sure to reserve some pasta water when you drain the pasta.
I make this all the time it’s delicious and and easy go to meal for the week for my family!
Nothing makes me happier than hearing that the whole family loves it 🙂 Thank you for letting me know!