This creamy mushroom pasta sauce is SO delicious and easy. It pairs perfectly with just about any type of pasta! Cozy and flavorful, take this sauce to an even higher level by adding some truffle and serving it with homemade fresh pasta!
As much as I love food and cooking now, I used to be quite the picky eater. One of the things I loved as a picky child was the canned cream of mushroom soup. I would eat it on everything, or just on its own. In fact, I think those cans are why I began to like mushrooms!
This creamy mushroom pasta sauce has all the salty and umami flavor of that classic canned soup, but it is much healthier and elevated. This sauce is intended to be a pasta sauce, but it could be great on top of mashed potatoes, roasted vegetables, rice, and more!
Serve this with fresh homemade pasta, boxed spaghetti or penne, or whatever you like! If you are looking to serve this over gnocchi, check out my similar recipe, Creamy Mushroom Gnocchi.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Versatile - This sauce has SO many applications. It is ideal for pasta, but can work with rice, potatoes, grilled meat or fish or tofu, or veggies!
- Easy - Very little effort is required in this sauce and it can be whipped up in no time.
- Hearty & Cozy - The rich and decadent flavors of this sauce are so cozy and perfect for a chilly night at home.
What you need for this recipe
Ingredients and Substitutions:
- Mushrooms - I used sliced baby bella mushrooms for this. However since the mushrooms are not chopped finely, you could definitely add or substitute with more fun mushrooms! I recommend oysters, shiitakes, or morels!
- Shallot - The shallot should be sliced, relatively thickly. A portion of it will be removed after adding flavor to the dish.
- Garlic - A large garlic clove, smashed but still intact. The clove will be removed at the end, so do not substitute with jarred garlic!!!
- Butter - A good salted butter is best, stick preferred.
- Heavy Cream - I don't recommend substituting. However, if necessary, only substitute with something thicker like creme fraîche or mascarpone.
- Parmesan - Freshly grated or microplaned is best.
- Truffle Oil (optional) - Completely optional, but adding a drizzle of truffle oil at the end will take this sauce up a level!
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Prepare Ingredients
If you did not purchase pre-sliced mushrooms, go ahead and slice them thickly.
Thickly slice the shallot and give the garlic clove a rough smash, but try to keep it intact.
Remove the peel from the garlic.
Grate the parmesan using a microplane or a box grater.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
Melt the butter in a nonstick pot or pan.
Add the sliced shallot and smashed garlic and sizzle over medium heat.
Once softened, remove about half of the shallots and the garlic clove.
Add the mushrooms into the pot or pan, then reduce the heat slightly and cover the pot with a lid. Let the mushrooms cook down for about 5-10 minutes, until soft and surrounded by brown liquid.
Add cream and parmesan and stir until combined. Add salt. Let simmer until slightly thickened.
Step 3: Finishing Touches
Optional: add truffle oil to taste.
Serve hot and mixed with or atop of pasta.
Expert Tips & Tricks:
- If you don't prefer the texture of large mushroom pieces, feel free to chop them into small pieces! The sauce will have just the same flavor.
- Since the mushrooms are not chopped finely, you could definitely add or substitute with more fun mushrooms! I recommend oysters, shiitakes, or morels!
- Feel free to add spinach or other vegetables to this dish, it is very versatile.
Recipe FAQs
This recipe is very simply made with just butter, aromatics, mushrooms, cream, and cheese!
For this recipe there is no roux, but you could thicken it by adding more cheese. Alternatively, make a cornstarch slurry with 1:1 ratio of cornstarch to water and simmer that into the sauce until thick.
I think almost all mushrooms would work well in this recipe including, portobello mushrooms, oyster, chanterelle, porcini, morels, and more!
Related Recipes
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Mushroom Pasta Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Medium-sized pot
- Sharp Knife
- Cutting Board
- Microplane or Cheese Grater
Ingredients
- 1½ tablespoon Salted butter
- 1 small Shallot sliced
- 1 clove Garlic smashed
- 8 oz Baby bella mushrooms sliced
- ¼ cup Heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ¼ cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated or microplaned
- truffle oil optional
Instructions
- If you did not purchase pre-sliced mushrooms, go ahead and slice them thickly.
- Thickly slice the shallot and give the garlic clove a rough smash, but try to keep it intact.
- Remove the peel from the garlic.
- Grate the parmesan using a microplane or a box grater.
- Melt the butter in a nonstick pot or pan.
- Add the sliced shallot and smashed garlic and sizzle over medium heat.
- Once softened, remove about half of the shallots and the garlic clove.
- Add the mushrooms into the pot or pan, then reduce the heat slightly and cover the pot with a lid.
- Let the mushrooms cook down for about 5-10 minutes, until soft and surrounded by brown liquid.
- Add cream and parmesan and stir until combined. Add salt.
- Let simmer until slightly thickened.
- Optional: add truffle oil to taste.
- Serve hot and mixed with or atop of pasta.
Notes
- If you don't prefer the texture of large mushroom pieces, feel free to chop them into small pieces! The sauce will have just the same flavor.
- Since the mushrooms are not chopped finely, you could definitely add or substitute with more fun mushrooms! I recommend oysters, shiitakes, or morels!
- Feel free to add spinach or other vegetables to this dish, it is very versatile.
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