Creamy Mushroom Pesto Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Sautéed mushrooms combined with creamy basil pesto and Parmesan. A quick, elegant Italian pasta dish ready in under 30 minutes.

# Required Ingredients:

→ 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 Steps:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup of 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 the heat. Stir in basil pesto and heavy cream, mixing until combined. Add grated Parmesan and stir until the sauce is smooth.
04 - Toss cooked pasta into the skillet, adding reserved pasta water a little at a time until reaching desired creamy consistency. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
05 - Serve hot, garnished with fresh basil leaves and extra grated Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like restaurant pasta but comes together faster than waiting for delivery.
  • The mushrooms get deeply golden and almost meaty when you don't rush them.
  • You can make it with pantry staples and whatever mushrooms you find on sale.
  • The cream smooths out store bought pesto into something luxurious and balanced.
02 -
  • Don't skip reserving the pasta water, it has starch that helps the sauce cling instead of sliding off into a puddle at the bottom of the bowl.
  • Mushrooms release a lot of water at first, resist the urge to stir constantly and let them actually brown or they'll just steam and turn rubbery.
  • Add the garlic after the mushrooms are done, not before, or it'll burn while you're waiting for the mushrooms to cook through.
03 -
  • Use a skillet that's big enough to toss the pasta without it spilling over the sides, it makes mixing the sauce so much easier.
  • If your pesto tastes too sharp or oily on its own, the cream will mellow it out completely so don't worry.
  • Taste the dish before you add extra salt, the pesto and Parmesan are already salty and it's easy to overdo it.
  • A squeeze of lemon juice at the very end brightens everything up if the dish tastes too heavy.
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