Pappardelle pasta was made for a sauce like this. These wide, silky ribbons soak up a creamy garlic parmesan sauce loaded with a full pound of golden, buttery mushrooms. It's a quick, easy and decadent vegetarian pasta dinner that's ready in about 30 minutes, fancy enough for date night and easy enough for a Tuesday.
Quick Look: Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pappardelle Pasta with Mushrooms
- ⏱ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 🔥 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍄🟫 Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 713 serving
- 🧄 Flavor Profile: Rich, savory and earthy, with umami from golden-browned mushrooms, nutty parmesan, a bright splash of white wine and fresh herbs to balance the creamy garlic sauce.
- 👌 Difficulty: Easy vegetarian pasta dish that's perfect for a special occasion or weeknight dinner
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Is there anything more delicious than big, fat noodles with lots of garlic butter mushrooms swimming in a creamy, cheesy sauce? I think not. This creamy garlic mushroom pasta dish is perfect for any night of the week but also impressive enough for guests. It's mouthwateringly good and one of my favorite date night pasta recipes!
Love mushrooms as much as I do? Try my Mushroom Barley Soup, Japanese Eggplant and Oyster Mushroom Stir Fry or Mushroom and Bok Choy Miso Ramen.
Jump to:
- Quick Look: Creamy Garlic Parmesan Pappardelle Pasta with Mushrooms
- Why you will love this recipe
- Ingredient Notes
- What is pappardelle?
- What is the best sauce for pappardelle?
- How to make creamy mushroom pasta
- Recipe Tips
- Recipe FAQs
- What to serve with creamy mushroom pasta
- More of our favorite pasta dishes to try
- Creamy Mushroom Pappardelle Pasta with Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Why you will love this recipe
- It's stress free and impressive at the same time. One of my favorite pastas to make for a special occasion!
- If you're inspired to do so, this is definitely a recipe worthy of homemade pasta. If you're looking for fantastic pappardelle pasta recipes, check out this authentic Homemade Pappardelle Pasta by my friend at Cucina with Elena.
- If you love mushrooms, it's loaded with a whole pound.
- t's creamy, comforting and perfect for those cold winter months.
Ingredient Notes
- Pappardelle Pasta - pappardelle is a long, wide, flat type of pasta, similar to fettuccine. This is one of those recipes that deserves fresh pasta if you can swing it! Tagliatelle, fettuccine, mafaldine or wide egg noodles are all good substitutes.
- Cremini Mushrooms - cremini mushrooms are small with a round, brown top. Also known as baby bella mushrooms, they are the same variety as button and portobello, just at an earlier growth stage. They have an earthy flavor that tastes like a milder version of a portobello. You could also use a wild mushroom mix for this recipe.
- Garlic and Shallots - fresh only and we're using lots of it. This is the kind of recipe where you can most definitely follow your heart with the amount of garlic.
- Parmesan Cheese - freshly grated only.
- White Wine - I always recommend using a wine that you would enjoy drinking while cooking. If you don't want to use white wine, a bit of veggie or chicken stock will do!
- Fresh Herbs - we are using LOTS of fresh herbs here. Tarragon, thyme and parsley. If you can't find fresh, use 1 tsp of dried for each. If anything, do fresh parsley, that's always available!
- Reserved Pasta Water - this is arguable the most important ingredient in helping the garlic parmesan sauce come together. DO NOT FORGET to reserve the water from cooking your pasta. Honestly, if you forget, my suggestion would be to just boil more pasta. It's absolutely that critical. The starchy pasta water is what helps make the sauce silky and not sticky.
What is pappardelle?
Pappardelle is a wide, flat ribbon pasta from Tuscany. The noodles are about ¾ to 1 inch wide, much broader than fettuccine or tagliatelle, and are traditionally made with egg. The name comes from the Italian verb pappare, "to gobble up," which is exactly what happens when you serve this dish.
What is the best sauce for pappardelle?
The best sauces for pappardelle are rich, hearty sauces that cling to its wide, flat noodles. Cream sauces like this creamy mushroom sauce, slow-cooked meat ragùs and brown butter sauces all work beautifully. Thin, watery sauces tend to slide right off.
A few favorite pairings:
- Creamy mushroom sauce (this recipe!) with garlic, white wine and parmesan
- Beef or short rib ragù. Shred leftover Beer Braised Short Ribs and toss them with the noodles and a splash of braising liquid.
- Bolognese or a classic Tuscan wild boar ragù
- Brown butter and sage with a shower of parmesan
- Pesto, like this Arugula Pesto
How to make creamy mushroom pasta
Step 1 - Prep ingredients: Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add a tablespoon of sea salt. Cook the pappardelle until just al dente. Reserve a few cups of starchy pasta water before draining and set aside.
Wipe the mushrooms clean with a paper towel and slice them into about ⅛-1/4 inch slices.
Mince the fresh garlic and finely chop the shallot and fresh herbs.
Step 2 - Cook the mushrooms: Heat olive oil and butter in a large sauté pan and add the sliced mushrooms. Let them cook undisturbed for about 2 minutes.
Add shallots and minced garlic to the cooked mushrooms and saute for another few minutes until fragrant. Add the fresh thyme and cook for another minute. Deglaze the pan with white wine, scraping up any browned mushroom bits from the bottom of the pan.
Step 3 - Add pasta, cream and cheese: Add the pasta noodles, heavy cream, tarragon, parsley and reserved pasta water to the pan and use tongs to toss and swirl everything together until well coated. The pasta starchy pasta water will thicken the creamy sauce.
Step 4 - Bring it all together: Taste and adjust seasoning and texture with salt, pepper, cheese and additional pasta water if needed. Serve in big bowls garnished with fresh parsley and tarragon and more parmesan cheese.
Recipe Tips
- Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Never immerse them in water, they are like sponges and will absorb too much moisture and could become rubbery.
- Slice mushrooms evenly. You want them about ¼ inch thick.
- Don't forget to reserve pasta water. This is what brings the sauce together and makes it silky and creamy.
- Don't crowd the pan with mushrooms. You may need to cook your mushrooms in two rounds depending on the size of your pan. Browning the mushrooms brings out the flavor, so be a bit patient with this step. Do the first batch, transfer to a plate and then proceed with the second batch. Once the mushrooms are browned, you can add everything back in and proceed as instructed.
- Use freshly grated parmesan. Pre-shredded or the stuff that comes in a shaker will not produce the same flavor and texture. The ingredient list is short and simple for this recipe so quality and freshness matter!
Recipe FAQs
To make an emergency pasta water replacement, dissolve ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch and a pinch of salt into a cup of boiling water. Next time, put a measuring cup in your colander or place the colander over a bowl so you don't forget before you strain!
Yes. Because the starch levels vary depending on what kind of gluten-free pasta you use, it's best to use a pasta water substitute to achieve the silky, creamy sauce. To get the best results, use a pasta water substitute with ¼ teaspoon of cornstarch dissolved in a cup of boiling water and proceed with the recipe as directed.
Yes. Long, thick cut pasta is best for this kind of recipe but whatever you have in the pantry will definitely work in a pinch!
Yes. Swap the ½ cup of white wine for ½ cup of vegetable broth plus a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You'll still get the brightness that balances the cream.
Baby bellas are the same thing as cremini, so they're a perfect swap. A mix of shiitake, oyster and chanterelle mushrooms makes it feel extra special. If you use portobellos, scrape out the dark gills first so they don't muddy the sauce.
Yes, it's meatless. Traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano is made with animal rennet, though, so if you're strictly vegetarian, look for a parmesan labeled vegetarian or made with microbial rennet.
Absolutely. Sliced grilled chicken, sautéed shrimp or browned Italian sausage are all great stirred in at the end.
What to serve with creamy mushroom pasta
- A crisp, tangy salad cuts through the rich sauce. Try a green salad with Simple Homemade Italian Dressing, a Crispy Goat Cheese Salad or this Shaved Brussels Sprouts Salad.
- For a green veggie, go with Sauteed Baby Broccoli, Simple Roasted Broccolini or Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Bacon.
- Definitely some crusty bread and a glass of the same white wine you cooked with!
More of our favorite pasta dishes to try
Creamy Mushroom Pappardelle Pasta with Garlic Parmesan Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 oz pappardelle pasta fresh is ideal
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced ¼ inch thick
- 2 shallots minced
- 4-6 cloves garlic minced
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ cup dry white wine
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 cup reserved pasta water
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped (plus more for garnish)
- Salt and pepper
- Red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Cook the pappardelle pasta according to package directions and reserve the pasta water.
- While the pasta is cooking, clean and slice mushrooms.
- Mince garlic and shallots and finely chop fresh herbs.
- In a large sauté pan, heat butter and olive oil over medium heat. Add mushrooms and let sit undisturbed for 1-2 minutes until browned. Stir and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your pan. (see recipe notes in post)
- Season mushrooms with a big pinch of salt, cracked pepper and fresh thyme and cook for one more minute.
- Add garlic and shallots and cook for another 2 minutes or so until translucent and fragrant.
- Pour in wine and deglaze the pan, scraping up any bits on the bottom. It will steam quite a bit so stand back. Let it simmer for a minute or two until the wine is mostly evaporated and the wine-like smell is gone.
- Add pasta, cream and reserved pasta water and toss with tongs until sauce begins to thicken and coat the pasta.
- Add in parmesan cheese, fresh tarragon and parsley and toss until combined. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper and red pepper flakes if using.
- Serve in big bowls garnished with more parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley.
Notes
- Wipe mushrooms clean with a damp paper towel. Never immerse them in water, they are like sponges and will absorb too much moisture and could become rubbery.
- Slice mushrooms evenly. You want them about ¼ inch thick.
- Don't forget to reserve pasta water. This is what brings the sauce together and makes it silky and creamy.
- Don't crowd the pan with mushrooms. You may need to cook your mushrooms in two rounds depending on the size of your pan. Browning the mushrooms brings out the flavor, so be a bit patient with this step. Do the first batch, transfer to a plate and then proceed with the second batch. Once the mushrooms are browned, you can add everything back in and proceed as instructed.
- Use freshly grated parmesan. Pre-shredded or the stuff that comes in a shaker will not produce the same flavor and texture. The ingredient list is short and simple for this recipe so quality and freshness matter!
- To make this without wine, substitute veggie or chicken stock and a squeeze of fresh lemon.
- This dish is vegetarian however it is important to note that traditional Parmigiano-Reggiano is made with animal rennet, though, so if you're strictly vegetarian, look for a parmesan labeled vegetarian or made with microbial rennet.
Britney Brown
I had a bunch of fresh herbs so I made this recipe and it was so good! The sauce was so creamy but not too heavy and with the mushrooms, it was just so delicious!
Jazz
This pasta was a hit at my girl’s night last weekend! All I had to do was add a salad and everybody cleaned their plates and asked for more.
Kaluhi
I loved how simple this was to make and how simple the flavors were too. It was so delicious, so filling and as a lover of mushrooms, this was right up my alley!
Marta
I made this pappardelle with mushroom and garlic parmesan sauce for our Meatless Monday meal and the family thinks I need to make it more often. It was so creamy and filling without being overly heavy. Loved it.
Alexi McIntosh
The garlic parmesan sauce was a dream! Its so creamy and full of flavor plus the mushrooms added a lovely texture. Definitely will be making this again.
Lilly
OMG, the garlic parmesan sauce with the mushrooms, LOVEE! The flavors are so good! I almost ate the entire dish by myself. Thanks for the recipe!
Jen
I love pappardelle pasta, it’s one of my favourites so I was excited to try this recipe. It didn’t disappoint at all. The flavors were perfect and the addition of mushrooms was spot on.
Britney Brown-Chamberlain
That creamy garlic parmesan sauce is literally to die for! We love this recipe and can't wait to make it again!!
Crystal
LOVE LOVE LOVE IT!!! Mushrooms and pasta are my fav, and this recipe was nice and Hearty. Perfect for the cooler temps
Stephanie
What a hearty dish. Pasta is a favorite of mine and this recipe definitely hit the spot. So full of flavor and such a comforting dish on a rainy day. The creaminess of the sauce was the perfect touch.
Kate
You left heavy cream off of the ingredient list!! ❤️
Jessica
Oh my goodness! I fixed that. Thank you!