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This garlic mushroom pasta recipe is easy to make and incredibly delicious! The garlic butter parmesan sauce is freshened up with a touch of lemon and parsley.
You may also like my Easy Pink Sauce Pasta or this Creamy Spinach Bacon Orzo next.
Why you’ll love it
This dish is made with simple ingredients. Garlic butter mushroom pasta is great for a quick weeknight dinner but also perfect for serving company. Lemon and mushrooms is such a good combo that you don’t see too often. Let me know how you like it!
I rarely cook with pappardelle, but whenever I do decide to use it, I think to myself that I should do it more often. It just feels fancy, but it’s not any more difficult to boil than any other pasta shape. Those ribbons go perfectly with the buttery mushroom sauce.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I like a longer shape like pappardelle, but serve with whatever pasta you prefer
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing and the base of the sauce
- Onion and garlic – tasty aromatics. I like using sweet onions.
- Mushrooms – I chose cremini/baby bellas
- Chicken broth – for more savory depth
- Dijon mustard and lemon juice and zest – for brightness and enhancing flavor. You don’t taste them individually.
- Parmesan – use a good-quality block and grate it yourself. It melts better and has the best flavor.
- Parsley – a pop of freshness
Pro tip
I try to eke out as much flavor as possible by making sure the mushrooms and onions get a good sear. Don’t rush this step!
How to make garlic mushroom pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms and onions in the oil and some butter in a skillet, stirring occasionally, until the water is cooked off and they’re nicely seared. Add in the remaining butter, the garlic and Dijon, and cook for a minute.
Pour in the broth, and add the lemon juice and zest. Let it bubble for another minute. Remove from the heat, and stir in the parmesan and parsley. Add a splash of pasta water to the sauce, drain the pasta, then toss it with the sauce. Season with salt & pepper.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use one of my fav kitchen tools to zest the lemon, my Microplane zester/grater. It’s also great for grating cheese. 😉
- This skillet is the one I use.
- A pair of kitchen tongs makes it simple to toss and serve this pasta.
Substitutions and variations
- Use vegetable broth if you’re vegetarian. Dry white wine also works great for this dish. I typically cook with either sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. I don’t really have any brand preference.
- If you’ve got other fresh herbs on-hand, feel free to add them in!
- You can definitely try a different kind of mushroom for this recipe (white mushrooms come to mind). Just be sure to brown them well!
What to serve with mushroom pasta
- A slice of fresh crusty bread or a dinner roll is a good idea, or try Garlic Bread.
- I like this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad for an easy and elegant pairing, or try spring mix with this Homemade Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- The pasta can dry out over time, so you might want to add a splash of white wine or broth when reheating. Do so slowly over a low heat.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
Love mushrooms and pasta? Try these
If you made this easy mushroom pasta recipe, let me know in the comments below! Or tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Garlic Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 ounces uncooked pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or veg broth or white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice + zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the onions and mushrooms. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the water has been released from the mushrooms & cooked off and everything gets a good sear and is browned/caramelized (this gives a ton of flavor). It'll take 8-10 minutes or possibly a bit longer.
- Stir in the rest of the butter, plus the garlic and Dijon mustard. Cook for about a minute.
- Add in the broth and lemon juice + zest, and let it bubble for about a minute or so.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and parsley. Add a splash of the hot pasta water prior to draining the pasta (a couple tablespoons) and then toss the pasta with the sauce. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- You could stretch this recipe to feed 4 people (just add more pasta) if you’re serving it with something else. This recipe can be easily doubled, but the mushrooms and onions will likely take longer to properly sear since there will be more in the pan.
- This recipe also appears in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
We picked up an assortment of mushrooms from our famers market this morning and thought it would be great with pasta.
We enjoy garlic so we used extra garlic cloves and some wild garlic.
This dish was full of flavour …amazing!!
Thanks 😊
You’re very welcome, Sylvia! 🙂 Thanks for your review!
Until about a month ago, I absolutely despised mushrooms. I decided to challenge myself and make this dish; lo and behold, I absolutely adored it. Since that moment, I have gained a deep fascination for mushrooms, from their morphology to microbiology. If you haven’t looked into fungi biology, you really should! There are all sorts of interesting things to learn about mushrooms, and a lot of them can be used to aid you in cooking! Suffice it to say; thank you for helping change my opinion of this wonderful food with your perfect recipe!
Omg!! That’s so great!! I’m so glad you liked the recipe!
Love it! I followed the recipe to the letter, except I didn’t have lemon to zest and used orange zest instead. Great recipe, definitely going into my side dish rotation.
I’m thrilled you enjoyed it, Margarita! Thanks for your review!
This was a savory dinner. I made it as printed, with the addition of red pepper flakes to kick it up a bit. Delicious!! I will make it again.
Awesome!! Glad you enjoyed it, Karen!
Excellent pasta! Wonderful subtle lemon flavor. Can’t wait to make it again.
Thank you so much, Diana!! 🙂
A bit bland to be honest
Sorry you didn’t like it! Did you add enough salt?
I like this tasty recipe sans cream! I used white mushrooms and stock since I didn’t have any white wine. 🙂 The outcome after sauteing the mushrooms, onions and garlic until nicely brown, was perfection. Such a simple recipe! I had a hankering for tuna so added a small can to half the prepared pasta… also yummy! Thanks!
You’re welcome! Glad it inspired you. 🙂
came out amazing. it’s honestly shocking how many recipes there are out there that don’t take that extra time to sear off the mushrooms.
Sautéing the mushrooms is a must! So happy you liked it, Adam.
I just made this and it was absolutely delicious 😋, it also for lunch tomorrow
Awesome!!
Can you add any vegetable to this recipe to make it healthier for your children?
I suppose so. It’s only been tested as written, but you’re welcome to experiment. You could toss a handful of spinach in right at the end. Or perhaps serve it with a side salad?