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+ servings
pasta
5 from 5 votes

Mushroom Pasta Sauce

This mushroom pasta sauce recipe is delicious on any noodle. It's made with 3 kinds of mushrooms and is bursting with umami flavor. 
Prep 10 minutes
Cook 20 minutes
Total 30 minutes
Fat 20
Carbs 74
Protein 14
Yield 4

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. dried pasta we used bucatini
  • 3 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon salt separated
  • 1 large portabella mushroom thinly sliced
  • 5 oz. shiitake mushrooms sliced*
  • 8 oz. button mushrooms sliced
  • ¼ cup dry white wine we used Pinot Grigio
  • 4 cloves garlic thinly sliced
  • 2 medium shallots sliced
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ cup vegetable broth
  • ¾ cup starchy pasta water
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch*
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons salted butter
  • ½ cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese or grated parmesan cheese
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions

  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until the pasta is al dente. 
  • Before straining the pasta, remove 1.5 cups of starchy pasta water from the pot and set aside for later (we always take a little extra out just in case). Strain the water and set the pasta aside. 
  • Heat a large skillet with sides over medium heat. Add olive oil. 
  • When the olive oil is fragrant, add all of the mushrooms to the pan and toss with the olive oil until coated. Sprinkle the mushrooms with ½ teaspoon of the salt and toss. 
  • Sauté the mushrooms for 5-7 minutes, tossing periodically until they are soft and start to brown. 
  • Deglaze the pan (with the mushrooms still in the pan) with the white wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet pan to remove any brown bits. 
  • Add the garlic, shallot, dried thyme, and the rest of the salt to the pan and sauté them with the mushrooms for 2-3 minutes. 
  • Next, add the vegetable broth and ¾ of the starchy pasta water to the pan and mix all the ingredients together. Bring the liquid to a boil and then turn the heat to low and allow the mixture to simmer for 3-4 minutes. 
  • Remove ¼ cup of the liquid from the pan and add the cornstarch to the removed liquid. Whisk the cornstarch and water together until it thickens (it should be almost a paste-like consistency).
  • Add the cornstarch slurry back into the saucepan and whisk it into the sauce. It should thicken the mushroom sauce almost immediately. 
  • Finally, add the butter and lemon juice to the sauce and stir until the butter is melted.  
  • Add the pasta to the skillet pan and toss until all the pasta is covered in sauce. 
  • Top the pasta with the pecorino romano and fresh parsley. 

Tips & Notes

  • Feel free to use any assortment of mushrooms that you like. We chose shiitake, portobello, and button because we love them. Feel free to use your favorites. 
  • If your sauce isn’t thickening after you add in the cornstarch you can add 1 more teaspoon of the cornstarch to water and then into the sauce. 
  • To make this a creamy mushroom pasta sauce, add 1/4 - 1/3 cup heavy cream in step 11.

Watch it

Nutrition Facts

Calories: 528kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 20g | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 3g