This Mushroom Alfredo Pasta is a rich and creamy pasta dinner that comes together in just 30 minutes. The homemade alfredo sauce is made with simple ingredients like butter, garlic, heavy cream, and parmesan cheese. Add in sauteed baby bella mushrooms and you have a restaurant-quality meal right at home. It is the perfect cozy weeknight dinner that the whole family will love!
For another restaurant quality pasta that you can easily make at home, try this pasta with pancetta and peas.
30 minutes
easy cleanup
Quick Look: Mushroom alfredo Pasta
- ⏱️ Prep Time: 10 minutes
- 👩🍳 Cook Time: 20 minutes
- 🕖 Total Time: 30 minutes
- 🍝 Servings: 4 servings
- ⚡️ Calories: 642 calories per serving (based on nutrition panel)
- 🔥 Cooking Method: Cook on the stove
- 🛒 Main Ingredients: Pasta, mushrooms, homemade alfredo sauce
- ⭐️ Difficulty: Extremely easy! No fussy steps
SUMMARIZE & SAVE THIS CONTENT ON
Erin left this 5 star review ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Quick, easy meal to make with minimal clean up. Whole family loved it!”
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tasty homemade sauce – Once you make alfredo sauce from scratch, you won’t want to do store bought again. The ingredients are simple but it is packed with flavor!
- Quick and easy – No fussy steps for this one! Only 10 minutes of prep and 20 minutes of cooking and you have a restaurant quality meal.
- Scales well – Want to double or triple this dish for a larger crowd? It is very easy to do so with this recipe!
If you love mushrooms, try this truffle risotto next. It is a creamy rice dish with delicate sauteed mushrooms mixed in.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Here’s a quick look at the ingredients you need to make mushroom alfredo pasta. For a full list of ingredients and amounts please head to the full recipe.
- Minced garlic – use finely minced garlic so it melts into your sauce
- Sliced baby bella mushrooms – I love the bite of a baby bella mushroom in pasta but you can also use cremini instead
- Butter – the butter adds to the creaminess of your pasta
- Heavy cream – there’s nothing better than a bit of heavy cream for the perfect pasta sauce
- Parmesan cheese – I love using freshly grated for the best taste and texture
- Pasta – Any pasta shape will work, but I love rigatoni in a pasta dish. For more of a classic, feel free to do fettuccine alfredo. For a gluten-free dish, use your favorite gluten free pasta.
- Optional: truffle oil – this makes the whole dish feel so decadent and delicious
This recipe is packed with dairy, but you could also attempt to make a vegan alfredo sauce! Substitute in ingredients like vegan cheese, nutritional yeast, and cashew cream to get a similar sauce texture. For a super smooth sauce, blend soaked cashews in a blender until perfectly creamy.
Love this recipe? Try another favorite baked feta and broccoli pasta.
How to make Mushroom Alfredo Pasta
Step 1: Sauté garlic, boil salted water for pasta, and add the sliced mushrooms to the pan.
Add pasta to boiling water and cook. Makes sure to save a cup of the pasta water.
Step 2: Add butter to the pan with the mushrooms and sauté until it melts. Pour in the heavy cream and let it simmer. It should be kept at a gentle simmer and not a full boil. Boiling the sauce can cause it to separate and turn greasy instead of staying creamy and smooth. Slowly mix in the parmesan cheese and continuously stir.
Step 3: Mix the pasta water and cooked pasta in with the sauce. If the alfredo sauce gets too thick, adding a splash of starchy pasta water helps loosen it up and makes the sauce cling to the pasta better.
Step 4: Toss to combine and cook for another 2 minutes. Garnish with fresh basil or fresh parsley, black pepper, parmesan cheese and truffle oil.
Mad’s Expert Tips for the Best Mushroom Alfredo Pasta🍝
- Save some pasta water before draining. The starchy water is great for loosening up the sauce if it gets too thick. Add it a splash at a time and stir until the sauce reaches the right consistency.
- Do not let the sauce boil. Once the cream is added, keep the heat at a gentle simmer. A hard boil can cause the sauce to break and turn greasy.
- Use freshly grated parmesan. Pre-shredded parmesan has added coatings that stop it from melting smoothly. Freshly grated parmesan melts much better and gives a creamier sauce.
- Add the pasta straight to the sauce. Instead of draining the pasta and then adding sauce, transfer the cooked pasta directly into the pan and toss everything together. This helps the sauce coat every piece of pasta evenly.
Want to make another dish with mushrooms as a highlight? Try this one skillet orzo chicken and mushrooms.
Recipe FAQs
What mushrooms work best for mushroom alfredo?
Baby bella mushrooms are used in this recipe and work great. Cremini or white button mushrooms are also good options. For a more earthy flavor, try shiitake or a mix of wild mushrooms.
Why did my alfredo sauce turn out grainy?
A grainy sauce usually means the heat was too high. Keep the sauce on a low simmer after adding the cream and cheese. Also make sure to use freshly grated parmesan instead of pre-shredded.
Can I make mushroom alfredo ahead of time?
Alfredo sauce is best made fresh. It can thicken up a lot in the fridge. If reheating, add a splash of cream or pasta water and warm it on low heat, stirring often.
Can I add protein to this mushroom alfredo pasta?
Yes! Grilled or sauteed chicken, shrimp, or even Italian sausage all work great stirred into this pasta.
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers of this mushroom alfredo pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Reheat in a pan on the stovetop. Add extra cream and cheese to refresh the sauce.
Check out these other easy Pasta Recipes
You can find the full recipe below. If you make this recipe, please rate and review it in the comments, or share it with me on Instagram!
Email Recipe for Later
Recipe
Mushroom Alfredo Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tbsp oil
- 2 cups sliced baby bella mushrooms
- 1 tsp salt
- 8 oz pasta
- 1/4 cup pasta water
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat and add the oil and minced garlic to the warm pan. Saute the garlic until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Boil salted water for pasta.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the pan. Saute until the mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add 1 tsp of salt to the mushrooms and saute for another minute.
- At this point add the pasta to the boiling water to cook.
- Add the butter to the pan with the mushrooms and saute until it melts. Once the butter melts pour in the heavy cream and let it simmer with the mushrooms for 4 minutes. Slowly mixing in the parmesan cheese and continuously stir until the cheese melts and mixes in.
- Reserve 1/4 cup of the pasta water and drain the cooked pasta. Mix the pasta water and cooked pasta in with the sauce. Toss to combine and cook for another 2 minutes. Serve with fresh basil, parmesan cheese and truffle oil
Recipe Notes
- Save some pasta water before draining. The starchy water is great for loosening up the sauce if it gets too thick. Add it a splash at a time and stir until the sauce reaches the right consistency.
- Do not let the sauce boil. Once the cream is added, keep the heat at a gentle simmer. A hard boil can cause the sauce to break and turn greasy.
- Use freshly grated parmesan. Pre-shredded parmesan has added coatings that stop it from melting smoothly. Freshly grated parmesan melts much better and gives a creamier sauce.
- Add the pasta straight to the sauce. Instead of draining the pasta and then adding sauce, transfer the cooked pasta directly into the pan and toss everything together. This helps the sauce coat every piece of pasta evenly.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
Leave a Reply