Everyday cooking
Creamy mushroom pasta
Browned mushrooms and a modest amount of cream make a silky pasta sauce.
- Total time
- 25 min
- Servings / pieces
- 4
- Topic
- Everyday cooking
Mushrooms bring more flavour to a cream sauce when they are browned before any liquid goes into the pan. Use a broad, hot frying pan and add the cream later. Four servings need only a moderate amount because pasta water loosens the sauce. Either white or chestnut mushrooms work; slices of even thickness matter more than their colour. This version uses spaghetti, though short shapes are also suitable. Parsley gives a fresh finish. Combine the dish just before serving, since pasta continues absorbing moisture as it stands and the coating becomes thicker.
Method
Step by step
- 01
Slice mushrooms
Wipe the mushrooms clean and cut into 5 mm slices. Finely dice the shallot and garlic. Put a large saucepan of salted water on to boil for the pasta.
- 02
Brown mushrooms
Heat the oil strongly in the frying pan. Brown the mushrooms in two batches for 4–5 minutes each. Let the undersides colour before turning; any released water must have room to evaporate.
- 03
Add onion and stock
Return all the mushrooms and lower the heat to medium. Cook the shallot for 2 minutes, then add the garlic for 30 seconds. Pour in the stock and scrape up the browned deposits.
- 04
Cook pasta and cream
Cook the spaghetti until nearly al dente. Meanwhile add the cream to the mushrooms and simmer gently for 3–4 minutes. Reserve 150 ml pasta water, then drain and add the spaghetti to the pan.
- 05
Combine the sauce
Start with 50 ml pasta water and toss for 1 minute. Add parsley and season with salt and pepper. Add more water if necessary until the sauce lightly coats each strand.
Times are a guide. Your hob, oven and ingredients affect the result; use the cooking cues as well as the clock.
Brown instead of steaming
Wet mushrooms and an overloaded pan cool the oil. They then stew in pale liquid rather than develop browned edges. Mushrooms need wiping but not peeling. Divide the quantity into batches and salt towards the end of frying to make browning easier.
Alternatives to cream
Unsweetened oat cooking cream can replace the dairy cream in the same quantity, with a different flavour. Thick crème fraîche needs extra water. Stir acidic dairy products in over gentle heat. The finished sauce should flow; add hot pasta water if it becomes a stiff coating.
Kitchen questions
One more question?
Can I use frozen mushrooms?
Yes. Fry them from frozen in small batches. They often release more water and need longer before they begin browning.
Which other pasta works?
Tagliatelle or penne hold the sauce well. Follow the cooking time for the chosen shape, reserving its final minute for the sauce pan.
