Creamy mushroom pasta
Oct 19, 2026
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There are few things I love more than a big bowl of creamy pasta, especially when it involves lots of garlic, butter, parmesan and beautifully caramelised mushrooms. This creamy mushroom pasta is rich, comforting and full of flavour, with golden mushrooms tossed through a silky white wine and cream sauce. It’s simple enough for a weeknight dinner while still feeling a little bit special.
Why you’ll love this creamy mushroom pasta!
I absolutely adore mushrooms and will happily find any excuse to cook with them. And what better way to enjoy them than tossed through a big bowl of creamy pasta? This creamy mushroom pasta is made with lots of garlic, butter, white wine and parmesan cheese. The mushrooms are cooked until beautifully golden before being tossed through a rich and silky cream sauce that clings to every piece of pasta. It’s comforting, full of flavour and best served with a generous amount of parmesan cheese on top.
If you’re looking for more easy dinners that don’t require hours in the kitchen, you might also love my chicken Alfredo, one pot pea pasta or garlic butter prawns. All are simple, delicious meals that are perfect for busy weeknights.
Ingredients For Creamy mushroom Pasta
You only need a handful of ingredients to make this creamy mushroom pasta, and most of them are probably already sitting in your fridge or pantry.
- Mushrooms: I’ve used a combination of Swiss brown, shiitake and shimeji mushrooms. I love the different textures, but you can use absolutely any mushrooms you like. Even regular button mushrooms will work beautifully.
- Garlic: I’ve used my garlic confit because it adds a lovely mellow sweetness to the sauce. However, fresh garlic works just as well and is a great option when you want to get dinner on the table quickly.
- Butter and olive oil: I love cooking with both. The butter adds richness while the olive oil helps the mushrooms cook beautifully.
- White wine: I like to use a crisp and light white wine such as Riesling or Savagnin blanc.
- Cream: Thickened cream (heavy cream in the US) creates that beautifully rich and silky mushroom sauce.
- Parmesan: You can use freshly grated parmesan, pecorino romano or even some mozarella!
- Pasta: I’ve used gigli pasta, also known as campanelle, because I love how the little folds catch the sauce. However, any pasta shape will work!
- Fresh herbs and lemon: Both are optional, but I love finishing this dish with a little parsley or thyme and a squeeze of lemon to cut through the richness.
How To Make
This creamy mushroom pasta is incredibly simple to make, and the sauce comes together in roughly the same amount of time it takes to boil your pasta.
Step 1: Cook the mushrooms: Fry the mushrooms in butter and olive oil until beautifully golden and caramelised.
Step 2: Add the garlic and shallot: Add the remaining butter, garlic and shallot to the mushrooms and cook until soft and fragrant.
Step 3: Make the creamy sauce: Pour in the white wine and allow it to reduce before adding the cream. Simmer until slightly thickened.
Step 4: Stir through the pasta: Add the cooked pasta, parmesan and a splash of pasta water. Toss until the sauce is beautifully silky and coats every piece of pasta.
FAQ’s
Absolutely! While I love the flavour that white wine brings to this dish, you can leave it out. Replace it with a little vegetable stock and a small squeeze of lemon juice for acidity.
I love using a mixture of mushrooms because each variety brings something slightly different to the dish. Swiss brown mushrooms have a lovely earthy flavour, shiitake mushrooms are rich and savoury, and shimeji mushrooms add a beautiful texture.
However, there’s no need to use three different varieties. You can make this recipe entirely with Swiss brown, button or portobello mushrooms. The most important thing is allowing them to caramelise properly.
Of course! If you don’t have any garlic confit sitting in the fridge, simply replace the 12 confit cloves with 4 finely minced fresh garlic cloves. Add them to the pan with the shallot and butter, making sure they don’t burn.
More Creamy Pasta dishes!
If you make this creamy mushroom pasta, please tag me on Instagram, Tik Tok or Pinterest so I can see your wonderful creations! If you have any questions or would like to leave a review, please do so here! I always love answering your food and recipe related questions and hearing your feedback on my recipes.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta (Easy Garlic & Parmesan Sauce)
Ingredients
Mushroom pasta
- 200 g Swiss brown mushrooms, sliced
- 100 g Shiitake mushrooms, sliced
- 100 g Shimeji mushrooms, trimmed
- 6 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, or 12 garlic confit cloves
- 1 shallot , finely diced
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1 cup heavy or thickened cream
- 250 g pasta
- 1/2 cup parmesan
- salt and pepper
- parsley, finely chopped, to serve
- 1/2 lemon, juiced, to serve
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to the boil. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions, draining it 1 to 2 minutes before the suggested cooking time. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Cook the mushrooms: In a large frypan over medium heat, melt 50g of butter with the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until beautifully golden and caramelised. If your pan is on the smaller side, cook the mushrooms in batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Add the garlic and shallot: Reduce the heat slightly and add the remaining 50g of butter, garlic and shallot to the pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shallot is soft and translucent and the garlic is fragrant.
- Make the sauce: Pour in the white wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any golden bits from the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine has reduced by roughly three quarters. Pour in the cream, season with salt and pepper and bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 5 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
- Combine the pasta and sauce: Add the drained pasta to the pan with the parmesan cheese and a splash of reserved pasta water. Toss everything together over a low heat until the pasta is coated in a beautifully silky and glossy sauce. Continue adding small amounts of pasta water as needed until you reach your desired consistency.
- Serve: Divide the pasta between bowls and finish with a drizzle of olive oil and a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese. Scatter over fresh herbs and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice, if using. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Mushrooms: I love using a combination of mushrooms for their different flavours and textures, but you can use any variety you like. Swiss brown, button or portobello mushrooms all work beautifully.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan: Mushrooms release quite a bit of moisture as they cook, so give them enough room to become beautifully golden rather than steam. Cook in batches if needed.
- Garlic confit: If you have some of my garlic confit sitting in the fridge, you can replace the 4 fresh garlic cloves with 12 garlic confit cloves.
- White wine: I recommend using a dry white wine such as sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. You can replace it with vegetable stock and a squeeze of lemon juice if you prefer to cook without wine.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated parmesan melts into the sauce much more smoothly than pre-grated cheese.
- Pasta water: Always reserve some starchy pasta water before draining. Add it gradually until you have a silky sauce that clings to every piece of pasta. You may not need all of it.
- Undercook the pasta slightly: The pasta will continue cooking when tossed through the sauce, so I recommend draining it 1 to 2 minutes early.
- Finish with lemon: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice helps balance the richness of the cream and butter.
- Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Reheating: Gently reheat in a pan over a low heat with a splash of water, milk or cream to loosen the sauce.
- Freezing: I don’t recommend freezing this pasta as the cream sauce can separate when thawed.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
This looks amazing. I’ve never seen that type of pasta before what kind is that? We are big pasta fans so always excited to try new ones.
Looks like gigli pasta
Thank you so much! This is gigli pasta