Creamy Mushroom Pesto Pasta (Printable)

Golden sautéed mushrooms tossed with creamy basil pesto and pasta for an elegant, quick Italian meal.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Mushrooms

03 - 14 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Pesto Sauce

07 - 3.5 oz basil pesto, store-bought or homemade
08 - ½ cup heavy cream
09 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Fresh basil leaves
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# Directions:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes until golden and tender. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Lower heat to medium-low. Stir in pesto and heavy cream, mixing until combined. Add grated Parmesan and stir until sauce is smooth.
04 - Toss cooked pasta into the skillet, adding reserved pasta water gradually until reaching desired creamy consistency. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
05 - Serve immediately, garnished with fresh basil leaves and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes like you spent an hour in the kitchen but only takes half that time.
  • The mushrooms soak up all the garlicky, herby flavor and turn golden and tender.
  • You can make it with pantry staples and whatever pasta shape you have on hand.
  • It's rich enough to impress guests but easy enough for a Tuesday night.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce cling instead of sliding off.
  • Let the mushrooms brown without stirring them constantly, or they'll steam instead of caramelize.
  • Add the garlic after the mushrooms are cooked, because garlic burns fast and turns bitter in high heat.
  • Toss the pasta in the skillet with the sauce instead of pouring sauce on top, it makes a huge difference in flavor.
03 -
  • Use a mix of mushroom varieties like shiitake, oyster, and cremini for deeper, more complex flavor.
  • Toast pine nuts in a dry pan until golden and sprinkle them on top for extra richness and crunch.
  • If your pesto tastes too sharp or oily, a squeeze of lemon juice at the end brightens everything up.
  • Always taste the sauce before adding extra salt, because pesto and Parmesan are already quite salty.
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