This creamy mushroom pasta with lemon recipe is an easy staple pasta dish for a delicious and fast vegetarian main meal. Garnish with fresh parsley
Creamy lemon mushroom pasta is kinda like the ultimate butter noodles, except with mushrooms and fresh lemon juice and lemon zest.
The simple addition of fresh lemon juice and zest, with a little cream, butter, cheese, and herbs will really elevate your mushroom pasta night.
Bulk up creamy lemon mushroom pasta by adding some more protein like sautéed shrimp, chicken, or fish.
What Kind of Mushroom For This Pasta Recipe
This recipe uses button mushrooms, but any kind of mushroom works for this creamy lemon pasta recipe.
Other mushroom examples are: cremini, shiitake, portobello, oyster, or chanterelle. Add several different kinds of mushrooms for variety and texture.
Quartering the mushrooms makes this pasta dish more rustic than sliced mushrooms.
Additionally, quartered mushrooms brown and crisp up faster and easier than sliced shrooms. Lastly, quartering mushrooms is easier than slicing them.
Variation on Creamy Lemon Mushroom Pasta
The lemon in this creamy mushroom pasta recipe pops. Dial it back on the lemon juice and zest if it's too much for you. Lemon juice / zest can also be completely omitted if not feeling it.
The pasta type does not matter, but generally pasta types with places for sauce to "grab on to" are a good thing. Look for pasta that has texture and shape to soak up the cream sauce.
Some excellent choices for creamy mushroom pasta with lemon are bucatini, fusilli (spirals), penne, farfalle (bowties) rigatoni, etc.. Having said that, regular ole spaghetti does the trick too.
Helpful Tips For Crispy Mushrooms In Pasta
Quartering the mushrooms allows them to all fit in a 12 inch pan and crisp up and brown instead of being crowded and steamed when they are sliced and layered on top of each other.
1lb of quartered mushrooms fits perfectly in a 12 inch pan. Non stick pans are easiest for most of us to use and to clean. They also are good for getting the mushrooms crispier while using less butter / oil / fat.
Reheat lemon mushroom pasta leftovers with a little extra reserved pasta water and some more heavy whipping cream.
Why is Pasta Water Added To The Mushroom Sauce?
Some of the starch from the pasta dissolves into the boiling water. Hence, pasta water is starchy and has a lot of flavor and "thickness", especially compared to water.
Pasta water is added to thicken up a sauce without having to add flour or cornstarch. When pasta water is combined with an even thicker liquid, like cream, it makes for a super dreamy rich but light sauce.
So, what makes this mushroom pasta sauce creamy, generally speaking? Heavy whipping cream combined with a little of the starchy water that the pasta was cooked in makes a creamy sauce.
What Can Be Substituted For Cream In This Mushroom Pasta Recipe?
Looking for a low fat or healthier version for creamy mushroom pasta with lemon? Try a lower fat cream (light whipping cream or half and half) or try straight up milk.
Looking for a vegan pasta sauce without cream? Substitute oat, almond (or any nut milk), or soy milk.
Creamy Lemon Mushroom Pasta FAQ
Plain pasta is easily enhanced by the addition of butter, heavy cream or half and half, Parmesan cheese, and lemon juice and zest. Bonus flavor for fresh herbs like parsley, basil, thyme, or rosemary.
On a basic level, nearly every recipe can be frozen. Having said that, mushroom pasta does not freeze super well. Advice: make less or have leftovers.
Curdling can be caused by cooking with cream with less than 36% fat. Half and half can be used but don't bring it to a boil or it will curdle. Stick with heavy whipping cream and keep the simmer low and not for a long time. If the sauce curdles, it is still safe to eat (unless it's expired and bad cream).
Heavy whipping cream is a great thickener. Additionally, the starchy pasta water is a thickener. Lastly, butter and Parmesan cheese add a little thickness. Having said all that a little dusting of cornstarch can also do the trick to thicken a sauce.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Lemon
This easy creamy lemon mushroom pasta recipe is a great staple pasta dish to have in your repertoire for a delicious and fast vegetarian main meal.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 Minutes
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4
- Category: Dinner, Main Dish
- Method: Sautéing, Stovetop
- Cuisine: International
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 8 oz pasta
- 4 tablespoon olive oil, divided
- 1 lb button mushrooms, quartered
- 2 shallots, minced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup pasta water
- ⅔ cup cream
- ⅓ cup parsley, chopped
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 2 tablespoon butter
- ~ 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
- ~½ teaspoon salt
- black pepper to taste.
Instructions
For the Pasta:
- Bring water to a boil for pasta and cook pasta until al dente. This means stop cooking it a couple minutes before you normally would. You will finish boiling it in the mushroom sauce for the last 2-3 minutes.
- Strain pasta but reserve a cup or more to add to the mushroom sauce later.
For the Creamy Mushroom Sauce:
- Bring a 12" pan to medium high heat and add 2 tablespoon olive oil and add quartered mushrooms and a wee bit of salt (~ ¼ tsp)
- Cook ~ 7-9 minutes, turning 2-3 times, until most sides are browned. Remove mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
- In the same pan, add remaining olive oil and shallots and cook for 2-3 minutes or until translucent.
- Add garlic to pan and cook 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add more olive oil if needed.
- Add mushrooms back to the pan with the garlic and shallots.
- Add pasta, 1 cup pasta water, and heavy whipping cream and bring to a simmer for ~ 3 minutes or until pasta is done.
- Remove from heat and stir in butter, lemon juice, lemon zest, and the Parmesan cheese (leave some for garnish if you like).
- Stir. The sauce will thicken as it cools so wait 5 minutes and it will be thicker.
- Plate and add salt to taste. Happy eating! Beckie
Notes
- Add more cream if you like.
- Substitute onions for shallots or just leave out entirely.
- Substitute basil, thyme, or rosemary for the parsley or leave out entirely.
- Reheat leftovers with a little extra pasta sauce and heavy whipping cream.
Serving Suggestion
Serve this creamy lemon mushroom pasta recipe with a complimentary side dish like:
You May Also Like
If you like this mushroom lemon pasta, you may also like these stellar mushroom recipes:
Things In My Kitchen:
- Microplane zester - for finely zesting the lemon and Parmesan cheese
- 12" non-stick skillet - 12" with a lid, oven safe to 400F, PFOA free. Perfect for seafood and delicate meats.
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