Creamy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta (Printable)

Rich, velvety pasta with sautéed mushrooms and garlic in a luscious cream sauce. Italian-inspired comfort in just 30 minutes.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz fettuccine or tagliatelle

→ Mushrooms & Aromatics

02 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
03 - 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
04 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
05 - 1 small shallot, finely chopped
06 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
07 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

→ Creamy Sauce

08 - 1 cup heavy cream
09 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
11 - 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

→ Garnish

12 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
13 - Extra Parmesan cheese for serving

# How-To Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water before draining.
02 - While pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 6-8 minutes until golden and their moisture has evaporated.
03 - Add chopped shallot and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
04 - Reduce heat to medium. Stir in butter until melted, then pour in heavy cream. Bring to a gentle simmer.
05 - Add grated Parmesan and nutmeg to the cream sauce, stirring until cheese melts and sauce thickens slightly, about 2-3 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
06 - Add drained pasta to the skillet. Toss thoroughly to coat with sauce, adding reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time as needed to achieve silky consistency.
07 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together faster than ordering takeout, but tastes like you spent the whole afternoon in the kitchen.
  • The mushrooms get deeply golden and sweet, which makes the creamy sauce feel earthy instead of heavy.
  • You probably already have most of these ingredients, and the ones you don't are worth keeping around.
  • It reheats better than you'd expect, which means lunch the next day actually feels like a gift.
02 -
  • If you crowd the mushrooms, they'll steam instead of brown, so use a skillet large enough to spread them out or cook them in batches.
  • Adding the pasta water isn't optional, it's the secret that transforms a thick cream sauce into something that coats beautifully without feeling gluey.
  • Parmesan can seize if the heat is too high, so keep the simmer gentle and stir constantly once the cheese goes in.
03 -
  • A splash of dry white wine added after browning the mushrooms and before the cream goes in will deglaze the pan and add a subtle brightness that keeps the dish from feeling one-note.
  • Grate your Parmesan on the finest holes of a box grater or use a microplane, the smaller the shreds, the faster and smoother it melts into the sauce.
  • Taste the pasta water before you drain it, if it's well-salted, it'll season the sauce as it loosens it, which means you'll need less salt later.
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