This mushroom pasta recipe is comfort food and dinner in just 15 minutes. Mushrooms and peas cooked in a creamy rich white sauce, yet not loaded with cream or cheese. Perfect when you need a super-quick meal using ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
Table of Content
Mushrooms and pasta are always a perfect combination. In our home, we love mushrooms. In fact, people are often surprised that my kids eat mushrooms. Our favorite is, of course, stuffed mushrooms or mushroom goulash.
About this pasta
Dinner in 15 minutes is definitely possible with this dish. The ingredients are simple and easy to find and probably already in your pantry.
Today, I am using mushrooms and peas but feel free to add spinach, or other greens if you like. Penne is our family favorite pasta, but you can try other shapes just as well.
The pasta takes about 11 minutes to cook while the sauce takes 10 minutes. So, this dish comes together in less than 15 minutes. Perfect for busy or lazy weekends.
Ingredients and substitutes
- Onions - I highly recommend red or Spanish onions. These are sweet and caramelize beautifully in the sauce.
- Olive oil - To me, it has to be a good quality olive oil when making pasta. I use extra virgin, cold-pressed olive oil. That's simply a personal preference.
- Herbs - Add freshness of the dish. I love some thyme and parsley, but oregano and basil work wonderfully too.
- Cheese - I am using some parmesan and cheddar today. Parmesan adds a nice nuttiness to the pasta. I love the sharp cheddar, but you can also use any Dutch cheese as well.
- Pasta - We love penne pasta, but obviously, any shape works great with this dish.
Step by step instructions
- In a pasta pot, boil the pasta in salted water until al-dente, reserve some of the cooking liquid before draining.
- Simultaneously, in a saute pan or cast-iron pan.
- Saute onions until translucent.
- Add garlic - saute a minute more.
- Next, add the chopped mushrooms and salt.
- Saute for 2 minutes until the mushroom sweat and the liquid is absorbed again.
- Then, add the flour - saute 30 seconds.
- Add the milk, cook for a minute.
- Then, add the peas and grate fresh nutmeg.
- Followed by the bay leaves, butter, parmesan, and cheddar cheese - combine well.
- Add the thyme and parsley.
- Finally, the boiled pasta - toss to coat in the sauce.
- Use a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid to help loosen the pasta and sauce.
- Serve hot sprinkled with more cheese.
10 tips for cooking pasta perfectly
- Use a large pot of water when boiling pasta to prevent a mess on the stovetop.
- Use 4 times the amount of water for your pasta - For example, to boil one cup pasta use at least 4 cups water.
- Always bring the water to the boil before adding pasta or the pasta will be sticky.
- Salt the water generously more than you think you need as this is the only time you will be able to season the pasta on its own.
- Never add oil to the pasta when cooking. This will create a non-stick surface on the pasta that prevents the sauce from sticking.
- Pick the right pasta for the right sauce. For example, long pasta such as spaghetti for oil and tomato-based sauces, or penna and large shapes for cream and meat-based sauces.
- The pasta cooking time on the package is a suggestion - always taste pasta to know if it's done. Most dry pasta takes about 10 to 12 minutes while fresh pasta often takes less than 2 minutes.
- Pasta must be cooked "al dente", which means it must be tender yet have a bite.
- If you plan to cook pasta long before serving, it's a good idea to keep it a minute underdone as it will continue to cook with the residue heat in the sauce.
- Never drain the pasta into a colander and never rinse the pasta. Instead, remove the pasta from the pot (preferably directly into the sauce).
Frequently asked questions
This pasta will keep in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. When you need to reheat it - add a few tablespoons of water to help the starch in the sauce blend again.
Boil water with salt in a large pot at least 4 times the quantity of pasta. So, 1 cup pasta would need at least 4 cups of water.
Once the water comes to a boil, add the pasta and give it a good stir.
Let the pasta cook for about 8 to 12 minutes.
The best way to check pasta is to taste it. It has to be Al Dente - meaning soft but still have a bite.
Drain the pasta and set aside until ready to use it into the sauce.
You can certainly add more green peas, try spinach or similar greens. These take the same time of about 3 minutes to cook.
Yes, of course, in fact, I made a similar recipe chicken with pasta in 15 minutes, pappardelle pasta with lamb and ground beef pasta. You must check these out.
You can add cream to make it a rich and creamier sauce, but as you can see in the video below, it is really not necessary. The sauce coats the pasta beautifully and the flour and stock make the sauce rich and creamy.
You may also like
Did you enjoy this recipe? Please ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ it.
Save it for later.
You can also find a collection of my recipes and tutorials here on Pinterest. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
And, don't forget to subscribe to my blog to receive new recipes by email.
Printable Recipe
Mushroom Pasta in 15 minutes
Print Pin Rate Share by Email Share on FB Save GrowDescription
Video
Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
- 9 oz (250 g) Pasta (Penne)
- 9 oz (250 g) Mushrooms (button or combination)
- ½ cup (½ cup) Peas (frozen)
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Olive oil
- ½ cup (½ cup) red Red onion (chopped finely)
- 1 (1) small Garlic (sliced)
- 1 tablespoon (1 tablespoon) Flour (all-purpose)
- 1 cup (250 ml) Milk (full-fat)
- ¼ cup (¼ cup) Parmesan
- ¼ cup (¼ cup) Cheddar cheese
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Butter
- 2 (2) Bay leaves
- 2 tablespoon (2 tablespoon) Thyme leaves (fresh)
- ¼ cup (¼ cup) Parsley (fresh)
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) Nutmeg (fresh grated)
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) Salt
- ¼ teaspoon (¼ teaspoon) Pepper
Instructions
- Boil the pasta in salted water until al-dente, reserve some of the cooking liquid before draining
- Simultaneously, in a saute pan or cast-iron pan
- Saute onions until translucent
- Add garlic -saute a minute more
- Next, add the chopped mushrooms and salt.
- Saute for 2 minutes until the mushroom sweat and the liquid is absorbed again.
- Then, add the flour – saute 30 seconds
- Add the milk, cook for a minute
- Then add the peas and grate fresh nutmeg
- Followed by the bay leaves, butter, Parmesan, and cheddar cheese – combine well
- Add the thyme and parsley.
- Finally, the boiled pasta – toss to coat in the sauce
- Use a few tablespoons of the cooking liquid to help loosen the pasta and sauce.
- Serve hot sprinkled with more cheese.
Nutrition Information
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
Jenni LeBaron
This mushroom pasta is so creamy! I love all the layers of flavor in this and it is positively packed with umami. I also really appreciate the peas in this because they give great texture to the dish.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Jenni. So happy to hear you enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for the feedback.
Jacqui DeBono
You cannot go wrong with mushrooms and pasta! It's great how quick and easy this recipe is too.
Veena Azmanov
That is true Jacqui. Can't go wrong with mushrooms and pasta.
Uma Srinivas
My kids' favorite pasta. we make at least once a month. So good with that creamy sauce. Thanks for the recipe
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Uma. So happy your kids enjoyed this recipe so much. Thanks for the feedback.