Creamy Mushroom Pasta

This recipe starts with my creamy mushroom sauce, which I’ve made countless times for everything from pan-seared steak to juicy stovetop chicken breasts. This time, we’re tossing it with pasta.

And unlike a lot of creamy mushroom pasta recipes, there’s no Parmesan in the sauce itself. I prefer to let the cream reduce on its own until the sauce is velvety and rich without being heavy. Dijon, Worcestershire and stock bring plenty of savory depth, so I save the Parmesan for finishing, along with a sprinkle of fresh thyme.

Here’s everything you’ll need:

• Pasta: Any pasta works here, but I prefer a short pasta like fusilli (what you see in my pictures). All those tight spirals are perfect for catching the creamy sauce and little pieces of mushroom in a way that flat noodles just can’t match.
• Mushrooms: This recipe works with just about any variety, including white button, cremini, oyster and shiitake. I usually use a combination of cremini and shiitake because I love the mix of earthy flavors and textures, but one variety works just as well.
• Butter: The base of the sauce. You can use salted or unsalted here.
• Garlic: You’ll need 2 to 3 cloves to get two teaspoons of freshly minced garlic.
• Stock: Beef stock is my go-to because I think it gives the mushroom cream sauce the richest flavor, but chicken or vegetable stock work, too.
• Dijon mustard: Don’t skip it. It adds a subtle tang that balances the richness of the cream and gives the sauce a complexity you’d notice immediately if it were missing.
• Worcestershire sauce: Same story as the Dijon. It’s a background note that adds savory depth without making the sauce taste like Worcestershire.
• Heavy cream: Stick with heavy cream here rather than milk or half-and-half. The higher fat content gives the sauce its silky consistency and helps it thicken as it simmers.
• Fresh thyme: Mushrooms and thyme are such a classic pairing. Stir some into the sauce and save a little extra for finishing the pasta.

Start by cooking the pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente. Before you drain it, reserve at least ½ cup of the pasta water. We’ll use that starchy water to loosen the mushroom sauce and help it cling to every noodle. It’s the same trick we use anytime we want sauce to really coat the pasta, like cacio e pepe and pesto pasta.

While the pasta cooks, make the sauce. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then add the mushrooms. Cook until they’ve started to soften, about 3 minutes, then stir in the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes.

Stir in the stock, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce and heavy cream. Let the sauce simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until it has thickened slightly, then stir in the fresh thyme.

Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet along with ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together, adding more pasta water a splash at a time if needed to loosen the mushroom sauce.

Taste and season with salt and pepper, then finish with freshly grated Parmesan and a little extra fresh thyme. And to soak up every last drop of that mushroom cream sauce, my ricotta garlic bread is pretty hard to beat.

My #1 Tip for Reheating a Cream Sauce

Cream sauces thicken considerably as they cool, so the key to bringing leftovers back to life is gentle heat plus a splash of liquid. Reheat the pasta in a skillet over low heat, adding a splash of warm milk as needed until the sauce loosens and becomes creamy again.

If you’ve made the mushroom sauce ahead and are reheating it to toss with freshly cooked pasta, use ¼ to ½ cup of the hot pasta water instead. The starchy water loosens the sauce while helping it cling to the pasta.