Fragrant garlic, earthy mushrooms, silky ribbons of pappardelle; there isn’t a better combination of ingredients for an easy, quick, and inexpensive meal that will fill bellies, stick to ribs, and delight taste buds. My creamy garlic mushroom pasta is perfect for busy weeknights when you just need an easy but satisfying dinner!
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A Sip and Feast oldie
My creamy garlic mushroom pasta is one of the very first pasta recipes I published here nearly 7 years ago!
It’s been a reader favorite for a while now, and for good reason! The Pecorino Romano, garlic, and mushrooms complement each other perfectly, and when tossed together in the cream sauce with pasta, it’s pure magic!
This dish is wonderful as a pasta course, but is also great as a full meal because it’s hearty and filling. I like to serve it alongside some roasted broccoli or garlic sauteed spinach.
Recipe Ingredients
All ingredients for this recipe are shown in the pic below and special notes are made in this bulleted list to assist you.
- Pasta. I love to use pappardelle with creamy garlic mushroom sauce. It’s thick enough to hold up to the heft of the ingredients. You could also use tagliatelle, rigatoni, or penne pasta.
- Cheese. I’m using Pecorino Romano, a salty sheep’s milk cheese. If you can’t find Pecorino, you can also use Parmigiano Reggiano.
- Mushrooms. Cremini mushrooms, sometimes called baby bellas are great here but white button mushrooms, or other more exotic mushrooms would also work well.
- Cream. I use heavy cream for the sauce. I don’t recommend using milk or half and half as it has a tendency to break.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
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How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Saute the garlic until golden with olive oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the mushrooms and turn the heat to medium-high.
- Cook the mushrooms until they release their water and start to brown, then season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water until 1 minute away from al dente. Turn the heat on the pan down to medium and add the cream and Pecorino and bring to a simmer.
- Add the pasta plus one cup of pasta water to the saucepan and mix well to combine.
- Once the pasta reaches al dente, add the parsley. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If the sauce is too thick, add a touch more pasta water. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Top tips
- Browning the mushrooms. When cooking mushrooms, it’s important to cook them long until until they release their water. Only then can they begin to brown.
- Save your pasta water. For nearly every pasta recipe here on my site, I recommend saving pasta water. It’s even more important with creamy pastas as they have a tendency to dry out. Be sure to save about 2 cups worth, though you may not need it all.
- Customize! Feel free to make adjustments and experiment with this creamy garlic mushroom pasta. If you want to use more or less garlic, go for it! It’s also great with sliced grilled chicken or steak added!
More creamy mushroom pastas
If you’re looking for more creamy pasta recipes, give these favorites a try!
If you’ve enjoyed this Garlic Mushroom Pasta recipe, give it a 5-star rating.
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Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound pappardelle pasta
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic sliced or chopped
- 1 pound mushrooms sliced
- 1 salt and pepper to taste
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano grated
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 2 cups pasta water will most likley not need all of it
- 1/2 cup minced flat-lead Italian parsley
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Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to boil.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat with the olive oil and add the garlic. Once the garlic turns golden, add the mushrooms to the pan and turn up the heat to medium-high. Cook the mushrooms until they release their water and start to brown. Season the mushrooms with salt and pepper.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta until it reaches 1 minute less than al dente. Make sure to reserve at least 2 cups of pasta water.
- Turn the pan to medium and add the cream and grated pecorino. Bring to a simmer.
- Add the pasta and 1 cup of pasta water to the sauce pan and mix well to combine. Once the pasta reaches al dente turn off the heat and mix in the parsley. Taste test and adjust salt and pepper as required. If the sauce is too thick use a little bit more pasta water to thin it out. Enjoy!
Notes
- Salt levels. Only 1 teaspoon of kosher salt was used because of the salty Pecorino Romano cheese, but adjust according to personal taste.
- Pasta water. It’s good to have extra pasta water on hand for thinning since cream sauces have a tendency to dry up quickly right before serving.
- Pasta. Most thick pasta shapes work well for this recipe.
- Leftovers. Creamy garlic mushroom pasta can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days. Cream sauces will tend to break when reheated. For a creamy consistency upon reheating, simply mix in a bit of cream and cheese to re-emulsify.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on November 28, 2018. It was completely updated on October 10, 2025.
Another absolutely DELICIOUS recipe! I made it for the first time tonight although it’s been on my radar for awhile. I added about 1.5 teaspoons of Cascade Mushroom Mix (from World Spice Market) along with the heavy cream, only because I have it in my cupboard, and I think it lifted this dish to another level. I’ll be adding this to my recipes on my Google Drive (only the tastiest recipes get saved here!)
Hi Suzanne, we’re so happy you enjoyed and really appreciate your comment!
Jim and Tara, Outstanding!! I loved this recipe! It got me thinking about a truly wonderful, very tasty gnocchi dish with a mushroom sauce that I was served at a Sonoma Valley restaurant a number of years ago. I have never been able to quite duplicate that flavorful sauce myself; however, after making your Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta recipe, I think that your sauce for it comes the closest that I have ever tasted. I’m thinking of combining your sauce with homemade potato gnocchi also made from your recipe, and serving the dish with the sauce poured over the gnocchi. What do you think?
Hi Ellen, thanks for the comment and it’s great to hear you enjoyed this recipe. I think this sauce would be great with homemade gnocchi – I say go for it and enjoy!
Thanks, James, for the heads up about my using this delicious creamy garlic mushroom sauce with homemade gnocchi. Also, thanks for the extra tip on how to prepare the mushrooms for this sauce using only the olive oil remaining after the garlic is sautéed, as well as your reminder about the Precorino Romano being on the salty side, thus requiring moderation when adding salt not only to the sauce, but also to the homemade gnocchi recipe because the gnocchi is additionally cooked in salted water. I plan to make this dish for a small group of friends after an initial “test run” for just myself, and am sure that it will be a “crowd-pleaser”. Thanks again!!
Hi Ellen, thanks for the comment and hope you enjoy!
Fast & yummy. Thank you. Great recipe
Hi Karen, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed the pasta!
Ez to make and delicious. This site is quickly becoming my favorite!
Thanks Jim
Hi Marc, thanks for the comment and rating and so happy you’re enjoying the site!
Hi Jim. Love your recipes. Every recipe I’ve tried is great but I don’t know what I did wrong with this one. I added the cheese and cream and I got clumps of cheesy cream in the middle of watery sauce. What did I do wrong?
Hi Rosie, thanks for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes. For this one, I’m wondering at what point did you add the heavy cream and cheese, and did you add pasta water as well?
Made this tonight – just a half recipe as I had 8 oz Bella mushrooms and 8 oz of fettuccini in my pantry. It was delicious! I actually made it for tomorrow’s evening meal, so I’ll reheat on the stove just enough to warm. I am planning to add some rotisserie chicken or salmon to the pasta – haven’t decided, but either sounds good.
Hi Karen, so happy you enjoyed this one and appreciate the comment!
I love watch you cook. You cook like my grandmother
I love your videos
Hi Paulette, thanks for the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the videos!
Would mixing spinach into this be good?
Hi Eric, yes, spinach would work well here.
Needs more than 1 cup of heavy cream. Dish seemed lacking in sauce
Hi Donnie, I’m sorry to hear you had difficulty with this dish. As noted in step 9 of the process, if the sauce thickens too much, a little pasta water will do the trick to loosen it back up. As with any cream sauce pasta, I always recommend reserving pasta water to help reconstitute the sauce.
This is one of our household favorites! It is so easy to follow and delicious. We always look forward to leftovers—that is if there is any pasta left!
Hi Sujatha, I really appreciate the comment and am so happy this is one of your household favorites!
Every recipe that I’ve made has been simple, easy, and delicious. I substitute the pasta for some gluten-free varieties and I have an allergy-friendly, cheap, and tasty meal for myself. I think I make a variation of this recipe at least once a month. I highly recommend it!
Hi Savannah, thanks for the comment! We’re so happy you’re enjoying the recipes!
This was really great! Pappardelle is my new favorite pasta! I used half romano and half goat cheese and it was wonderful!
Hi Esten, thank you, and happy you liked this recipe!
Made this a couple of weeks ago for my vegetarian daughter and Hubble. I followed the recipe exactly and it was so so delicious! (hate it when folks give a crummy rating to a recipe they changed so much it isn’t the same recipe!). Going to try it again using (rehydrated) dried mixed wild mushrooms. Do you think it will be as delicious as the original recipe? So far, any of your recipes that I’ve tried are all five star!
Hi Cindy. Glad you enjoyed it. I do encourage people to change things up, but I agree with you, if the recipes aren’t followed they shouldn’t be rated at all. They are essentially rating their own creation.
And we made this delicious dinner tonight . I was shopping all day and What I was gonna cook for dinner… But all of a sudden I thought I have mushrooms and heavy cream why not try your simple and fast recipe…I just happened to print out your recipe that say. So I gave it a try and it turned out delicious… that is the second Recipe I’ve made of yours… the first was the eggplant meatballs. Both recipes were heavenly… Can’t wait to try the next recipe… You cook so similarly to how I cook that I feel so comfortable watching you and learning even more… I hope word gets out that you need your own cooking show… Can’t wait to see that happen… my husbands grandparents are from Sicily and we costly they don’t use a lot of garlic maybe it’s an Italian American thing… But we love it we always add more then what it calls for and you always say “add how much you want” Good luck in your bright future ahead!
Hi Sharon. Really glad you enjoyed the recipe. I always try to make people feel comfortable with experimenting with more of what they like to fit their personal tastes. The techniques are what’s important. Print recipes on this blog are a bit more precise. Video is more of the medium I can better communicate my message of “making the recipe your own”. I doubt I will get a traditional cooking show on TV. But that doesn’t matter since anyone can now skip that process by making their own cooking show on YouTube or other platforms. That’s what I’ve done. I’m grateful for you and so many others watching me there!
Love this dish. I add blackened chicken to mine. I make it once a week and sent it to many of my friends. Soo simple and friendly on the whallet.
Hi Darren. I love the blackened chicken idea. Thanks for the feedback.
Thank you, Jim! My whole family loves this recipe. Had to use linguine because it’s readily and economically available in Oregon, but it didnt hurt my family at all! It’s delicious.
All your recipes are very clear. I found your Youtube channel by searching “pizziaola” because my mom made that with inexpensive beef and I miss it. She missed a lot of her favorites after moving from Brooklyn to Portland in 1950, but when my Nana visited we always had lots of Itialian food. I wanted my grown sons to know what it’s like to have good, home cooked Italian food and your site has helped me do that!
Happy New Year!
Fran Chandler
P.S. Do Southern Italians, which I’m just guessing is your background, like my Godfather’s ,always have lentils on New Year’s Day to ensure good fortune?
Hi Fran. Glad you enjoyed this one and linguine (my favorite pasta) is a great pasta for almost any dish. Great to hear that you’re enjoying the videos and that they are bringing you back. My mother’s side is southern Italian (Sicilian, Basilacata) and lentils were always cooked in our family. Tradition is to serve them on New Year’s day, but I don’t remember having them specifically on that day. Though we had them so much I can’t remember lol. Thanks for the comment and I hope you enjoy many more of our recipes!
This is fairly important info, and for many of us. More people need to know this. Yet, I have not once, not a single time, seen this mentioned anywhere. I’m sure it’s there somewhere, but this is the first time anyone has spelled it out.
I ruined dishes several times before I finally learned that tempering trick, and because of those previous failures I do it now on anything dairy. Very interesting to learn that heavy cream is resistant to such things. It’s the fat content I’d assume.
I think I speak for lots of us when I say…many thanks for your videos. They are different from the thousands of amateur(ish) videos, but also different from the very extensively produced, lit, recorded, set-dressed, and edited ones too. Looking forward to seeing, and trying, many more of your recipes.
Thanks, Julius. One day, I might have a studio and extensively produced videos, but not yet.
I have watched a few of his videos on Youtube. Never once did I see him “temper” any dairy products before adding them to a hot dish. We are taught that avoiding that step will cause the protein to coagulate and screw up what you are making. Yet, he doesn’t do this, and I’ve seen no problems. Has he successfully disproven this supposedly essential step which most everyone who cooks for a living (or a lot at home) insist you don’t skip?
He also mentioned that if half and half is used it could “break”. He didn’t explain this to those newcomers who might have no idea what that means. From the little I’ve learned, unless I misunderstood, that’s the same thing as separating, yes? I assume that breaking/separating and coagulating are two different dairy-related problems?
Hi Julius. You don’t really have to temper with heavy cream. Just lower the heat a bit before adding it in or remove the pan from the heat for a second if you’re worried. I make my videos to show exactly how to do things. Textbooks and written recipes are great, but imo there is nothing better than when someone shows and doesn’t just tell. With milk or half and half, I recommend tempering.
Hi Jim, I just found your website last night and the simple garlic, mushroom, cream and cheese recipe. We were hungry and in a hurry and this was so simple but full of flavor. I’ve been cooking for years but reading through your recipes am learning a lot I didn’t know which is fantastic. Like adding pasta water to keep it nice and creamy as the pasta absorbs. We didn’t add the parsley only because we were lazy and I used the mushrooms I had, which were baby bellas, shitake, oyster, and some big but I chopped it up and added it. We had black truffle so added that at the very end. What I learned is that I should have kept adding more pasta water as the pasta was absorbing the liquid. I realized if I had kept cooking it longer the pasta would have become perfectly cooked. My bad! But! We totally enjoyed it. Making the Pasta alla Norcine tonight! I love the dishes you offer…so many. We love Italy, been there four time…4 to 5 weeks every time. Just got back this last October and worried because of the state of the world we might not be able to visit anymore. So sad everyone is at odds with each other. There is so much to enjoy, cooking, the amazing beauty, love is so wonderful to have and give. Your great to share your life and talent with all of us! Thank you so very much!!! Don’t stop…your authentic!!
Hi Sherrie. Really glad you enjoyed the recipe. I’m sure you’ve had some amazing food with those long trips to Italy. Hope the pasta alla Norcina is a hit too! That one actually uses, when in season, black truffles. So if you have some left, that would be a perfect use.
love your channel
gives me confidence to try some new
Nick G
Hi Nicholas, I’m so glad you’re enjoying the videos. My goal is to make a video for every recipe on this website. Thanks again!