Creamy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta (Printable View)

Rich, velvety pasta with sautéed mushrooms, garlic, and creamy Parmesan sauce. A vegetarian comfort dish ready in 30 minutes.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fettuccine or tagliatelle

→ Mushrooms & Aromatics

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Creamy Sauce

08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
13 - Extra Parmesan cheese for serving

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until golden brown and all moisture has evaporated, approximately 6 to 8 minutes.
03 - Add minced shallot and garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Add butter and allow it to melt completely. Pour in heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Add grated Parmesan and nutmeg to the cream mixture. Stir constantly until cheese melts and sauce thickens slightly, about 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet and toss to coat thoroughly. Add reserved pasta water gradually as needed to achieve a silky, cohesive sauce.
07 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately while hot. Garnish generously with chopped fresh parsley and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout and tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen.
  • The sauce clings to every strand of pasta without being heavy or greasy.
  • Mushrooms become meaty and golden, adding serious flavor and texture.
  • You probably already have most of these ingredients sitting around.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving pasta water, it's the only thing that will loosen the sauce without breaking it.
  • Let the mushrooms cook undisturbed at first so they brown instead of steam, that's where all the flavor comes from.
  • Use freshly grated Parmesan, the pre-grated stuff doesn't melt smoothly and can make the sauce grainy.
03 -
  • Use a large skillet so the mushrooms have room to brown instead of crowding and steaming.
  • Toss the pasta in the sauce off the heat for a minute so it absorbs all that creamy goodness.
  • Freshly cracked black pepper at the end adds a little bite that wakes up the whole dish.
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