- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
What you’ll need — tap to tick off as you go
- 350 g
- 500 g
- 2 tbsp
- 30 g
- 3 cloves
- 1 tbsp
- 250 ml
- 120 ml
- 60 g
- 1 tsp
- ½ tsp
- 10 g
Process
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Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil, add 1 tsp salt, and cook 350 g pasta until al dente — usually 1 minute less than the package says. Before draining, scoop out and reserve 250 ml of the starchy pasta water.
While the water heats, wipe the 500 g sliced mushrooms clean with a damp cloth. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet over high heat until it shimmers.
Add the mushrooms in a single layer and leave them untouched for 3–4 minutes until the undersides are deep golden. Stir and cook another 4–5 minutes until browned, shrunken and tender with no squeak when bitten. Work in two batches if your pan is crowded.
Lower the heat to medium, push the mushrooms to one side, and melt 30 g unsalted butter in the empty space. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and cook 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
Sprinkle 1 tbsp all-purpose flour over the mushrooms and garlic, stir constantly for 1 minute to cook out the raw flour taste.
Pour in 250 ml heavy cream and 120 ml warm vegetable broth in a steady stream, stirring. Simmer gently for 3–4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon and looks glossy.
Turn off the heat, stir in 60 g grated parmesan and 0.5 tsp black pepper until melted and smooth. Taste and adjust salt.
Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss well, adding reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce clings to every piece. Serve immediately topped with extra parmesan and 10 g chopped parsley.
Kitchen notes
Kitchen notes
- The one mistake most people make is crowding the pan: mushrooms release water and steam instead of browning. Use the widest skillet you own and cook in two batches if needed — golden colour is where the flavour comes from.
- Do not add cream to a screaming-hot pan or it can split. Lower the heat to medium and add it in a steady stream while stirring.
- Grate the parmesan finely and add it off the heat; high heat makes it clump and turn stringy.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you need — it is the only thing that will loosen a sauce that tightens as it sits.
- Serve with a crisp green salad and crusty bread to mop up the sauce; a squeeze of lemon brightens the cream if the dish tastes flat.
Substitutions
- heavy cream→full-fat coconut milk for a dairy-free version (sauce will be slightly thinner)
- parmesan→pecorino or grana padano
- vegetable broth→the reserved pasta water plus an extra pinch of salt
- cremini mushrooms→a mix of shiitake and oyster mushrooms
- all-purpose flour→1 tsp cornstarch dissolved in the broth
Storage & reheating
Cool leftovers within 1 hour and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The sauce thickens considerably when cold, so reheat gently on the stovetop over low heat with 2-3 tbsp water or milk stirred in, or in the microwave in 30-second bursts, stirring between each, until steaming. Do not boil or the cream sauce may split. Freezing is not recommended: the cream separates and the pasta turns mushy, though the mushroom sauce alone freezes well for up to 2 months.
Gallery
FAQ
The questions we get asked most
Why did my mushrooms turn soggy instead of golden?
The pan was too crowded or not hot enough, so the mushrooms steamed in their own water. Use a wide skillet over high heat, add them in a single layer, and resist stirring for the first 3-4 minutes. Once the water evaporates they will brown quickly.
Can I make this creamy mushroom pasta ahead of time?
You can sauté the mushrooms and make the cream sauce up to 2 days ahead; cool and refrigerate them separately. Boil the pasta fresh, then reheat the sauce over low heat with a splash of water before tossing. Assembling the whole dish ahead makes the pasta absorb the sauce and go gluey.
How do I stop the cream sauce from curdling or splitting?
Add the cream at medium heat, not a boil, and let it come to a gentle simmer only. Cold cream hitting a hot pan, or high heat after the cream goes in, is what causes splitting. If it does split, whisk in 1 tbsp cold cream or a little pasta water off the heat to bring it back.
Can I use milk instead of heavy cream?
Yes, but use whole milk and expect a thinner sauce. Whisk 1 tsp cornstarch into the cold milk before adding it, and simmer for an extra minute so it thickens. Low-fat milk tends to look watery and can separate more easily.
How do I know when the pasta is al dente?
Bite a piece: it should be tender with a slight firmness at the very centre, no raw chalky taste. Start checking 1 minute before the package time, since pasta continues cooking when tossed with the hot sauce. If you will toss it in the pan for a minute, drain it while still slightly underdone.
Can I add chicken or spinach to this dish?
Yes. Sear diced chicken in the pan first, set it aside, then cook the mushrooms in the same pan and return the chicken with the cream. Baby spinach can be stirred in at the end, off the heat, until just wilted so it does not release water into the sauce.
Why does my sauce taste bland even with parmesan?
Under-salted pasta water and unbrowned mushrooms are the usual culprits. Salt the water properly, brown the mushrooms deeply for flavour, and finish with a splash of the starchy pasta water, which helps the sauce cling and taste fuller. A squeeze of lemon or extra black pepper also lifts the cream.
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