I love this easy mushroom pasta. You can use a variety of mushrooms. I often use cremini mushrooms, but for a spectacular pasta, try wild foraged mushrooms like morel or chanterelle mushrooms. There’s no cream in this recipe. If you want to add some, see our tips below the recipe.
8 ounces pappardelle, fettuccine or linguine
10 ounces (280g) mushrooms, trimmed and sliced (3 cups sliced)
1 lemon
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves or ½ teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon mushroom powder, optional
¼ cup (25g) shredded parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
1Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook, stirring once or twice, for 1 minute less than the suggested cooking time on the package. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta cooking water.
2Using a damp paper towel, brush off dirt from the mushrooms. Cut away and discard any hard stems. Chop into ¼-inch slices or, if the mushrooms are larger, like portobello, cut into ¼-inch cubes.
3Use a microplane to zest the lemon finely. You need 1 tablespoon.
4Heat the olive oil in a large, wide skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and spread into one layer. Then cook, without moving, until browned on one side, 3 to 5 minutes.
5Stir, and cook another 3 to 5 minutes, or until mostly golden brown on all sides. Stir in butter, garlic, thyme, mushroom powder, lemon zest, and ¼ teaspoon salt.
6Turn the heat to low and add the drained pasta, ¼ cup parmesan, and ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Use tongs to toss the pasta, cheese, and mushrooms around the pan for one minute.
7If the pasta looks dry, add a splash more pasta water. I usually use the full ½ cup of pasta water.
8Taste and adjust the seasoning. Squeeze over half a lemon. Serve with parmesan and fresh ground black pepper on top.