Creamy Mushroom Pasta

4.89 from 9 votes

This Creamy Mushroom Pasta is the perfect quick dinner to feed a family of four. This pasta dinner is an absolute burst of creamy flavour!

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: Italian

Servings:

Author: Chris Collins

Cost: £2.50 / $3

Equipment

Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
Large Pan & Wooden Spoon
Large Pot & Colander (to cook pasta)
Jug (for stock)
Serving Spoon

Ingredients

Olive Oil, as needed
12.3oz / 350g Mushrooms of choice, sliced (I use Chestnut mushrooms)
3 tbsp / 45g Butter
3 large cloves of Garlic, finely diced
12.3oz / 350g Conchiglie, or pasta of choice (dry weight)
240ml / 1 cup Chicken Stock
240ml / 1 cup Double/Heavy Cream, at room temp
40g / 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Parsley, plus extra to serve
2 tbsp finely diced Fresh Chives
Salt & Black Pepper, to taste

Instructions

Add a good drizzle of oil to a large pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the mushrooms and space them out as best you can. Leave to fry for a couple of mins until they begin to sweat, then stir them to flip them over. Continue frying until they build up a golden crust (important to develop flavour). Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper, then push them to the outside of the pan and lower the heat to medium.
Melt in the butter then add the garlic. Fry for a minute or so (careful it doesn't burn), then incorporate everything and pour in the chicken stock. Allow the stock to simmer for a few minutes until it reduces by half (just eyeball it).
Meanwhile, pop your pasta in salted boiling water and cook until al dente. Retain a cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
To the pan, add the cream, chives, parsley, parmesan and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Simmer and occasionally stir until the sauce thickens. Add in the drained pasta and stir until the sauce thickens around and clings to the pasta. If the sauce thickens too much, add a splash of pasta water to thin out slightly. You might not need to do this. If the sauce is still quite thin, continue to simmer and stir until it thickens and wraps around the pasta.
Check for seasoning and adjust if needed (make sure the sauce is properly seasoned to bring out the best in this simple sauce). Serve with plenty of parmesan and parsley then tuck in and enjoy!

Video

Notes

a) Parmesan - Ensure it's freshly grated (or grated in the bag) the powdery stuff will turn the sauce grainy.

b) Storage - This is best made fresh, but certainly don't waste leftovers. Just allow to cool then tightly store in the fridge for up to 3 days. I like to reheat over low in a pan with a splash of milk or water to thin the sauce back out. You can use the microwave, but the sauce will go oily (still delicious!)

c) Calories - Based on using 1 tbsp Olive Oil for frying and divided by 4.

Nutrition