Mushroom Pesto Pasta (Printable Version)

Rich pasta with sautéed mushrooms, creamy basil pesto sauce, and Parmesan. A quick, elegant vegetarian dish perfect for weeknight dining.

# What You Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Mushrooms

03 - 14 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Pesto Sauce

07 - 3.5 oz basil pesto
08 - ½ cup heavy cream
09 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Fresh basil leaves
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 6-7 minutes until golden and tender. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Lower heat. Stir in basil pesto and heavy cream until combined. Add grated Parmesan and stir until sauce is smooth.
04 - Toss cooked pasta into skillet, adding reserved pasta water gradually until reaching desired creamy consistency. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
05 - Transfer to serving plates and garnish with fresh basil leaves and extra grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • It tastes expensive but uses ingredients you probably already have sitting around.
  • The mushrooms soak up all that garlicky, herby flavor and turn silky in the cream.
  • You can have this on the table in half an hour, even on a busy weeknight.
  • It feels fancy enough to serve guests but forgiving enough that you cant really mess it up.
02 -
  • Dont skip reserving the pasta water, its starchy and salty and helps the sauce actually stick to the noodles instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Let the mushrooms cook without stirring them constantly, they need contact with the hot pan to caramelize and develop that deep, savory flavor.
  • Add the garlic after the mushrooms are mostly done, it cooks quickly and can go from perfect to burnt in seconds.
03 -
  • Use a skillet thats large enough to toss the pasta without it spilling over the sides, it makes everything easier and helps the sauce coat evenly.
  • Taste the pasta a minute before the package says it should be done, al dente means it still has a tiny bit of resistance when you bite into it.
  • If your pesto tastes a little sharp or too intense, the cream will mellow it out beautifully, so dont worry.
  • Finish each plate with a drizzle of good olive oil and an extra grating of Parmesan, it makes the whole thing feel restaurant quality.
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