Garlic Herb Mushroom Pasta Recipe

Making this flavorful mushroom pasta is a breeze - sauté mushrooms with a splash of wine & toss them with pasta, garlic, herbs & a little cashew cream.

This mushroom pasta was inspired by our recent trip to Parma, Italy. Mushrooms were in season in the area, and every restaurant we went to seemed to have a mushroom special. In addition to multiple mushroom pasta recipes, we tried mushroom soup, grilled mushrooms, and more. Jack and I happen to love mushrooms, so I was itching to make this mushroom-lovers spaghetti once we got home.

Mushroom Pasta Recipe Ingredients

This recipe, obviously, starts with the mushrooms. I used sliced cremini mushrooms, but by all means, mix in other varieties such as chanterelle mushrooms or oyster mushrooms if you want to get crazy. The rest of these ingredients – olive oil, garlic, herbs, and a touch of cashew cream with Dijon mustard – seem so simple, but they compliment the mushrooms in such a delicious way. Specifically, if you’ve never tried tarragon before, it has an anise/licorice flavor that you might not love at first sniff, but it REALLY makes the deep savory flavor of the mushrooms pop.

Mushroom Pasta Recipe Variations

Now that the weather is cooling off, this mushroom pasta is our kind of weeknight recipe. It’s quick to toss together, which is the beauty of pasta, but it’s also yummy, satisfying, and very flexible. For example, if you don’t have tarragon and chives, rosemary and/or sage would be delicious. You could also sub in gluten-free pasta if you want to (or even spaghetti squash), and there’s a vegan option (below) to use cashew cream instead of regular cream. Of course, if you’re not vegan, top this with fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano (or pecorino or Parmesan cheese), because this recipe is inspired by Parma after all!

Buon appetito!

If you love this mushroom pasta recipe…

Try my broccoli pasta, roasted veggie pasta, pasta pomodoro, butternut squash pasta, or pesto pasta next!

5.0 from 30 reviews

Garlic Herb Mushroom Pasta

Prep time

5 mins

Cook time

20 mins

Total time

25 mins

This Garlic Herb Mushroom Pasta feels elevated, but it's quick enough to make on a weeknight. If you're not vegan, feel free to use regular cream in place of the cashew cream.

Author: Jeanine Donofrio

Recipe type: Main dish

Serves: 2 large servings or 3-4 smaller servings.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
16 ounces cremini mushrooms, de-stemmed and sliced
8 ounces Spaghetti, plus ⅓ cup reserved pasta water
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup dry white wine (such as chardonnay or pinot grigio)
¼ to ⅓ cup cashew cream (below)
⅓ cup chopped fresh tarragon
⅓ cup chopped fresh chives
⅓ cup shaved Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

savory cashew cream (this makes extra)*

⅓ cup raw cashews + ½ cup water (or skip this mixture and use regular cream)
½ clove garlic (a small one)
½ teaspoon fresh lemon juice
¼ teaspoon dijon mustard
⅛ teaspoon sea salt

Instructions

Make the cashew cream by blending all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. Set aside. (note: it’s not going to be very thick, it should be the consistency of half & half or heavy cream).
In a large pan heat the olive oil oil over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, a few generous pinches of salt and pepper, and cook until soft and wilted, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 12 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in salted boiling water 1 minute short of the package directions, until al dente. Reserve ⅓ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
To the mushrooms, add the wine. Stir and let it reduce for 1 to 2 minutes.
Stir in the garlic, then the cooked pasta and toss. Add a few splashes of the cashew cream and a few splashes of the pasta water and toss to create a light sauce. Add half of the fresh herbs and season to taste. Serve immediately with remaining fresh herbs and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese on top.

Notes

To make this vegan, skip the cheese and and serve with a few drizzles of balsamic vinegar.

Change up the herbs: rosemary and/or sage would be delicious here, but add those heartier herbs to the pan as you add the mushrooms so that they'll cook more than the softer herbs.