Life As A Strawberry

Let's Talk About Food.

  • About
  • Recipes
  • Bread Baking
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

December 3, 2015

Creamy Mushroom Pasta (With Video!)

Creamy mushroom pasta with an easy mushroom white sauce, garlic, and no heavy cream. Ready in 30 minutes. Vegetarian.

In a hurry? Click here to jump straight to the recipe & video!

White bowl filled with bowtie pasta and mushroom cream sauce on a dark brown table.

This easy, creamy mushroom pasta is one of our favorite weeknight recipes.

It’s quick, it’s simple, and it’s easy to adapt for whatever ingredients you have in the fridge! Just throw together your favorite pasta, an easy garlic mushroom pasta sauce, and any other proteins or veggies you have on hand (don’t worry – we’ll walk you through plenty of substitution ideas!)

Plus, y’know, any excuse to say “shrooooooooms!” in a singsongy voice over and over while I make dinner.

Graphic with four photos illustrating the steps to make mushroom cream sauce

Let’s run through the ingredient checklist, shall we? Here’s how to make mushroom pasta:

  • Pasta.
  • Olive Oil.
  • Garlic.
  • Onion.
  • THE SHROOMS.
  • Lil’ bit of flour.
  • Milk.
  • Cheese.
  • BOOM.
  • DONEZO.
Graphic with side by side photos of mushroom cream sauce before and after mixing in some parmesan cheese

Riffs & Substitutions

The beauty of this creamy mushroom pasta is that it doesn’t necessarily have to be creamy mushroom pasta – you can substitute anything you have on hand to make it a complete dish!

  • Out of parmesan cheese? Use cream cheese, goat cheese, shredded asiago or romano. You can use shredded mozzarella here if you like, but know that mozzarella will typically make this sauce much thicker and string-y-er (more like a mac and cheese).
  • What mushrooms should I use? Use any mushrooms you like for this pasta: portobellos, button mushrooms, or cremini mushrooms are all good! (PS – More more info, check out this breakdown of mushroom types, flavors, and characteristics!)
  • Add your favorite veggies. Add spinach, broccoli, butternut squash, corn, tomatoes, arugula, bell pepper, or any other seasonal veggies you have on hand. Toss quick-cooking veggies into the sauce right before serving; add heartier veggies in to sauté with the garlic and onion and adjust cook times as necessary.
  • Add your favorite protein. Add some roasted or grilled chicken to your creamy mushroom sauce, or top your pasta with grilled or sautéed prawns, shrimp, or steak!
  • Easy swaps. Use shallots or green onions instead of yellow onion if you like. You can leave the garlic and/or onion out if you need to, but you’ll lose some flavor: if you do this, we recommend adding some extra mushrooms and a pinch of herbs (thyme, rosemary, or sage) to round it out. And don’t forget to add salt!
  • Nix the pasta. This cream sauce is great on spaghetti squash, zucchini noodles, or chicken.
  • To make this pasta vegan, (or if you just want it without dairy!) swap our favorite Magic Cauliflower Cream Sauce for the milk and flour here. Use a few tablespoons of nutritional yeast in place of the parmesan (or omit it entirely!)
Copper spoon stirring mushroom cream sauce in a shallow metal saucepan.

Adjusting the sauce

  • Can I use heavy cream or half and half instead of milk? Yes! Keep in mind that swapping heavy cream for the milk in this recipe will create a much richer, alfredo style sauce. To make this switch, omit the flour (you won’t need it as a thickening agent since heavy cream will thicken quite well on its own when heated) and use just 3/4 as much cream as you would milk to start (so, 1 1/2 cups of cream or half and half for every 2 cups of milk called for – you can always add more later!)
  • What about a mix of milk and heavy cream? If you’re short on milk or just want a slightly richer sauce, you can use a mix of milk, heavy cream, and/or half and half. We recommend reducing the amount of flour by half and using a 50-50 split (50% milk, 50% heavy cream) to keep things simple. If you’re using more than 50% heavy cream, omit the flour entirely (you don’t need it to thicken the sauce if you have that much cream!)
  • To lighten up this sauce, swap the milk and flour for our favorite (vegan!) Magic Cauliflower Cream Sauce. You can also swap 1/2 cup of the milk for white wine, chicken broth, or reserved pasta water for a lighter sauce option.
Shallow white bowl filled with bowtie pasta and a white mushroom sauce on a dark brown table.

VIDEO: HOW TO MAKE CREAMY MUSHROOM PASTA

One quick note: In the written recipe, we ask you to cook your mushrooms first and THEN add the garlic and onion. But in this video, you’ll notice we cooked the garlic and onion first! Both methods work just fine – but since we shot this video, we’ve found we prefer to cook the mushrooms first. Cooking the mushrooms first helps them brown better without having to compete for space with onion and garlic – giving them a slightly nicer texture! We’re in the process of recording a new how-to video for this recipe, so stay tuned!

  Print
clock clock icon cutlery cutlery icon flag flag icon folder folder icon instagram instagram icon pinterest pinterest icon facebook facebook icon print print icon squares squares icon heart heart icon heart solid heart solid icon
overhead photo of a white bowl filled with bowtie pasta and mushroom sauce on a dark brown table

Creamy Mushroom Pasta

★★★★★ 4.8 from 13 reviews
  • Author: Jessie
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 20 mins
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 4 1x
  • Category: Pasta
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegetarian
Print Recipe
Pin Recipe

Description

Easy, creamy mushroom pasta with a tasty parmesan sauce.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 1/2 pound pasta (we used bowties!)
  • 3 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
  • 12 ounces baby portobello mushrooms, sliced (3 heaping cups)
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 2 cups milk (we use 1%)
  • 1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in very salty water until al dente. Drain and set aside.
  2. Return the pasta pot to the stove. Add olive oil and turn heat to medium.
  3. Add sliced mushrooms to oil and cook, stirring only once or twice, until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add garlic and onion to pan and sauté until onions have softened and are translucent, about 2 minutes.
  5. Add salt and pepper to taste and stir to combine.
  6. You should notice a bit of liquid in the skillet with the mushrooms – this is what you want! If your pan looks dry, add another tablespoon of olive oil so you have enough fat to form a roux in the next step.
  7. Add flour to mushroom mixture and stir to help the flour soak up any liquid. Cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds or so.
  8. Slowly add milk to mushrooms, stirring constantly to break up any chunks of flour. Cook 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened.
  9. Remove sauce from heat and stir in shredded parmesan cheese.
  10. Add cooked pasta to sauce and toss to combine. Serve immediately.

Notes

Additions and Substitutions. Use cream cheese, goat cheese, shredded asiago or gruyere instead of parmesan here. You can use mozzarella if you like, but it will create a thicker, string-y-er sauce (more like a mac and cheese). Use portobello, button, or cremini mushrooms. Add spinach, broccoli, or any seasonal veggies you like to the sauce. Add chicken, shrimp, or steak for extra protein. Use shallots or green onion in place of yellow onion. If you’d like to leave out the garlic and onion, add a pinch of sage, rosemary, or thyme to build in more flavor (use 1/4 teaspoon dried herbs or 2 Tablespoons fresh). For more substitution ideas, be sure to read the post above!

Shred the parmesan cheese yourself for best results! Pre-shredded cheese often has preservatives applied that prevent the cheese from melting smoothly.

Strict vegetarians should look for parmesan cheese made without rennet. To make this pasta vegan, use our Magic Cauliflower Cream in place of the milk and flour in this recipe and use a few Tablespoons of nutritional yeast instead of parmesan.

Swap the milk for heavy cream or half and half. If you’d like to use cream or half and half, omit the flour and use just 3/4 as much cream as you would milk (so, 1 1/2 cups of cream for every 2 cups of milk called for – you can always add more later!) Using cream will yield a much richer sauce! You can use a mix of cream and milk if you like – we recommend cutting the amount of flour in half and using a mix of 50% milk and 50% cream. See the post above for additional notes on this!

This recipe makes quite a bit of sauce – if you like a lighter amount of sauce, use 3/4 pound of pasta and add a splash of reserved pasta water to your sauce to thin it out a little.

For a lighter twist, swap our favorite Magic Cauliflower Cream for the flour and milk in this recipe! You can also lighten up this sauce by swapping white wine, chicken stock, or reserved pasta water for 1/2 cup of the milk. Reduce the amount of parmesan cheese by up to half if you like.

This recipe was updated in September 2020 with additional notes and photos. 

Keywords: mushroom sauce, mushrooms, cream of mushroom

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram

\"\"

I'm Jessie, and I like to talk about food. Tag your recipes #LifeAsAStrawberry on social media to share your creations!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
20 Delicious Things to Do With Thanksgiving Leftovers
Wine Braised Short Ribs with White Cheddar Mashed Potatoes (Video)

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe rating ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆ ★☆

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Comments

  1. David Price says:
    January 5, 2019

    I love this! This proves that mushroom is another amazing and indeed
    a magical plant. Thank you for sharing those mouth-watering recipe. Will surely give it a try.
    Amazing!

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      April 3, 2019

      Thank you so much, David!

      Reply
  2. Dorothy says:
    November 26, 2018

    I came across this recipe while looking for a way to use leftover mushrooms. Have you tried freezing it? I would like to make the sauce and freeze to use over pasta later.

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      April 3, 2019

      This sauce freezes really well! I recommend freezing the sauce on its own and reheating in a small saucepan. You might need to add a splash of milk or cream as it reheats to help it smooth itself out again, but the flavor holds up for 3-4 months in an airtight container in the freezer. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  3. Suzy Samo says:
    October 7, 2018

    Tasty quick and easy and made both hungry people full with some leftovers.suzys samo

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      April 3, 2019

      Wahoo! So happy to hear it – thanks for letting us know how it turned out!

      Reply
  4. Anyra says:
    September 30, 2018

    Loved that I didn’t need heavy cream or cooking cream or whatever fancy pasta cream some recipes make you think you need! I used this recipe as inspiration and I loved my first try! My sauce was too thick, but that was my own fault haha. Next time I’ll add more milk (or maybe water?) to make it a bit more saucy or just not make it thicken too much.

    Thank youuuuuuuuu 😁

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      October 1, 2018

      Hi Anyra, you’re welcoooome! 😉

      Reply
  5. Ola says:
    September 14, 2018

    super quick and delicious – i needed to add salt tho.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
  6. Carrie Quinn says:
    September 3, 2018

    I normally don’t write reviews, there’s no reason why I just don’t but I absolutely had to write one on this recipe. Hands down best pasta recipe I have ever tried on the internet, and I tried a lot. The only thing I changed was a bruin some asparagus and peppers that I roasted on the barbecue last night. OMG! The mushroom taste with the creamy sauce and the taste of the roasted peppers out of this world! I have a salad every night with dinner except for tonight. I put it in a tupperware to eat tomorrow!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Carrie Quinn says:
      September 3, 2018

      I’m trying to upload pictures but it will not allow me to do it. Sorry for the misspelled words. I’m using talk to text because I’m still stuffing my face! 😂

      Reply
      • Jessie says:
        April 3, 2019

        Best compliment ever! 😂 So glad you liked it, Carrie! (And you can always share photos with us by tagging @lifeasastrawberry on Instagram – we love to see what you make!)

        Reply
    • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      October 1, 2018

      Hey Carrie – Wow…we are so honored to have you write this review! This is awesome to read!

      Reply
  7. Ted says:
    August 15, 2018

    How much milk to add?

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      April 3, 2019

      Hi Ted! You’ll use 2 cups of milk as directed in the recipe. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  8. Teaspoon says:
    June 19, 2018

    What percentage milk do you suggest using? I typically use one percent milk, but I am thinking that the fat content may be too low.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      April 3, 2019

      One percent is totally fine! It may need an extra minute or two to thicken up (vs. 2% or whole milk) but I make this with skim all the time and it works just fine. Hope that helps!

      Reply
  9. Ankita says:
    June 5, 2018

    Made this today and it was awesome! But the sauce was a bit too thick…and I felt I could have reduced the amount of pasta. But an absolutely delicious sauce.

    ★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      August 29, 2018

      I’m so glad you liked it, Ankita! If the sauce thickens too much, you can always thin it out with a splash of milk, stock, or water! And we fully support swapping out some pasta for your favorite veggies!

      Reply
  10. Chris says:
    June 5, 2018

    Donezo took less than five seconds to cook.

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jackie @ Life As A Strawberry says:
      June 13, 2018

      Hello Chris, glad to hear it was enjoyed!

      Reply
  11. Madi says:
    April 21, 2018

    Delicious and a great amount of protein for vegetarian diets! This has become a staple meal in my diet!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      August 29, 2018

      Wahoo! So happy to hear that, Madi!

      Reply
  12. Wendy says:
    March 22, 2018

    i am so excited to try this, but i am wondering if i can do cream cheese instead. i read yes, but how much??

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      March 24, 2018

      You can certainly add cream cheese – I recommend adding a few spoonfuls at a time and just tasting in between until it tastes right to you!

      Reply
  13. Annemarie says:
    March 2, 2018

    Just made it… easy recipe and tastes yummy. I added a little crushed red pepper for some heat and it worked well! Thanks!

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      March 6, 2018

      I’m so happy you liked it, Annemarie! Love the red pepper addition!

      Reply
  14. Zandile says:
    January 9, 2018

    I tried it. Tastes yummy

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      January 11, 2018

      Thanks, Zandile! Happy you liked it!

      Reply
  15. Shani says:
    January 3, 2017

    This was amazing! I did cream cheese instead of Parmesan and it’s so creamy and thick!!

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      January 3, 2017

      I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out (and I love the idea of using cream cheese – yum!!)

      Reply
  16. Tracey says:
    November 28, 2016

    This was amazing! I’m putting it on my “good enough for company” list! LOL!

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      November 29, 2016

      Good enough for company? I’m so honored! 🙂 Thanks for letting me know how it turned out (and I’m so happy you liked it!)

      Reply
  17. Dee says:
    September 19, 2016

    Love love love this recipe!
    Had a bad experience years ago while trying to make white sauce pasta and had completely given up making it at home.
    Tried this 2 days ago and it was utterly delish!! Never going to order pasta in again 🙂

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      September 19, 2016

      I’m so happy you liked it! Thanks for letting me know how it turned out! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Dining Duster says:
    February 13, 2016

    well this looks fantastic!

    Reply
    • Jessie says:
      February 14, 2016

      Thank you so much! It’s one of our favorites! 🙂

      Reply
Newer Comments »

 
Screenshots of four meal planning worksheets from the Life As A Strawberry Resource LibraryJoin my email list for subscriber-only
access to my FREE Resource Library!
 
CLICK HERE TO JOIN!
 




Let's Talk About Food.
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
 
1% for the Planet logo
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Privacy Policy

ABOUT US

  • Meet Our Team
  • Contact
  • FAQ
  • Work With Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

RESOURCES

  • Subscriber Resource Library
  • Meal Planning Resources
  • Sustainability Resources
  • Social Responsibility
  • At The Table Podcast
  • Everyday Artisan Bread Course

RECIPES

  • Recipe Index
  • Homemade Bread
  • Pasta Recipes
  • Vegan & Vegetarian
  • Pantry, Fridge, & Freezer Staples

JOIN OUR EMAIL LIST!

1% for the Planet logo

Copyright Ⓒ 2012-2021 · LIFE AS A STRAWBERRY