Mushroom brandy cream sauce with spaghetti is a luxuriously rich pasta dish that combines some of the best flavors! Earthy mushrooms are browned and tossed with spaghetti in a tomato-based, creamy brandy sauce. Finished with plenty of grated Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh Italian parsley, this dish can be made in about 30 minutes.
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Editor’s Note: Originally Published on June 13, 2018. Updated with full process shots and expanded info.
I’ve always loved the combination of brandy (or cognac), mushrooms, and cream.
It’s as if these 3 ingredients belong together, complementing any other ingredients that happen to join in, like pasta or Parmigiano Reggiano.
And so this dish was born.
While the flavor is my favorite part of this dish, I also love the fact that it can be made in about 30 minutes.
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I make this dish when I’m short on time – especially on weeknights. It pairs perfectly with sauteed greens, such as spinach with garlic and oil, or broccoli rabe.
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.
- Mushrooms. I used a variety of baby Bella and some specialty mushrooms for this particular recipe because that was what was available at my local grocery store. If all you can find are white button mushrooms, that is perfectly fine and your pasta will still be delicious. You can also use dehydrated mushrooms – just be sure to reconstitute them with water prior to using them.
- Brandy. I am using an inexpensive brandy. No need for Hennessy or more expensive brands.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon of water) to boil. Slice 1 1/2 pounds of mushrooms into 1/4″ thick pieces and dice 1 medium onion. Note: I’m using assorted mushrooms in pic 1 below, but baby Bella (cremini) or even white button mushrooms can be used with success. Use what’s available and fresh.
- Heat a large stainless steel pan to medium heat. Once the pan is hot (about 2-3 minutes) add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and saute the mushrooms until brown on both sides – total cooking time per batch will be about 6-8 minutes.
- Once the mushrooms release their water season with a touch of salt and pepper. Work in batches. If you crowd the pan the mushrooms will steam instead of brown. Place all the cooked mushrooms on a plate off the side and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onions to the pan along with a bit of olive oil if the pan is dry. Saute the onions until translucent (about 4-5 minutes) then add 3 ounces of tomato paste to the pan and cook stirring frequently for 5 more minutes. At this point begin boiling the spaghetti to 1 minute less than al dente. Make sure to reserve 2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Next, add 1 cup of Brandy – keep your head back! – and turn the heat to high.
- With a wooden spoon scrape up the brown bits in the pan and cook for about 2 minutes or until the strong alcohol smell burns off and the liquid reduces by about half.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add 1 cup of pasta water and cook for 2 more minutes.
- Add 1 1/4 cups of heavy cream and bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring frequently.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the mushrooms to the sauce.
- Add the pasta to the sauce and stir it all together. Cook the pasta right until al dente then remove the pan from the heat. Add a 1/2 cup of finely grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese and stir to incorporate.
- Add a 1/4 cup of minced fresh Italian parsley and stir once more. If the pasta is at all dry use that extra cup of reserved pasta water, 1-2 ounces at a time, to get the consistency just right. Enjoy!
Top tips
- Searing the mushrooms. I recommend slicing the mushrooms about 1/4 inch thick and making sure you get a good sear on them by sauteeing in batches. If you overcrowd the pan the mushrooms will steam and won’t develop that gorgeous brown color.
- Save your pasta water! I say this time and time again, and it really should be the cardinal rule of pasta making. Always save pasta water, especially when making cream sauces. Cream sauces tend to dry out quickly, especially once you’ve added cheese and if not serving immediately. When this happens, all you need is a bit of pasta water to bring the spaghetti back to it’s silky and creamy texture.
- Use heavy cream. Creamy mushroom brandy sauce with spaghetti is creamy for a reason. Heavy cream is a key ingredient here – I suggest not skipping or swapping it for milk, half and half, or any other substitute which might break your sauce. Using anything but heavy cream diminishes the integrity of the dish. However, if you’re on a health kick you can use just pasta water and more cheese to get a creamy sauce. I have shown this technique numerous times on my YouTube channel. But, this is a Brandy cream sauce, hence the use of heavy cream.
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Mushroom Brandy Cream Sauce Spaghetti
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti linguine, fettuccine, etc.
- 3 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 1/2 pounds baby Bella (cremini) mushrooms 1/4-inch thick slices
- 1 medium onion diced
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 1 1/4 cups heavy cream
- 1 cup Brandy
- 1/2 cup Parmigiano Reggiano grated
- 2 cups reserved pasta water will most likely not need it all
- 1/4 cup Italian parsley minced
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water (2 tablespoons kosher salt per gallon) to a boil.
- Heat a large pan to medium heat. Add the olive oil and mushrooms. Sear mushrooms until they release their water and brown (about 3-5 minutes per side). Once browned season with a bit of salt and pepper and remove mushrooms to a plate and tent with foil.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and add in the onion. Saute for 5-7 minutes or until translucent and soft. If the pan is dry add 1-2 tablespoons more olive oil. After the onions are soft add the tomato paste to the pan and cook for 5 minutes stirring frequently.
- At this point begin boiling the spaghetti to 1 minute less than al dente.
- Add the Brandy to the pan and turn the heat to high. With a wooden spoon scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Once the alcohol smell has gone away and the liquid has reduced by about half (about 2 minutes) turn the heat down to medium and add 1 cup of pasta water.
- Cook for 2 more minutes then add the cream. Bring to a simmer to allow the sauce to thicken. Taste test and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Add the mushrooms to the sauce along with the pasta. Cook until the pasta is just al dente then turn off the heat and remove the pan from the stovetop.
- Add the cheese along with the parsley and mix together well. If the sauce is too dry add more of the reserved pasta water, a bit at a time, to get the consistency just right. Enjoy!
Notes
- Use any fresh mushrooms you like. Baby Bella (cremini) mushrooms offer the best value to flavor ratio. They often are only a little bit more expensive than white button mushrooms.
- Always save your pasta water! Use the reserved pasta water (a couple of ounces at a time) to thin if the pasta is too dry.
- Almost any substantial pasta works well for this recipe. Linguine, fettuccine, rigatoni, penne are all great.
- Leftovers can be saved in the fridge for up to 3 days and can be reheated in the microwave.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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This recipe was originally published on June 13, 2018. It was completely updated on February 8, 2022.
This is one of our favorite pasta recipes. Anything with mushrooms is terrific but this pasta has such a depth of flavor. The addition of the white wine (I didn’t have any brandy) adds a rich taste that basic vodka sauces or pink sauces just don’t have. 2 pounds of mushrooms shrinks down but it is still a nice amount for 1 pound of pasta. I added a small amount of red pepper flakes when I sautéed the tomato paste to add a little heat and I have varied the pasta shape based on what was in my cabinet. This week I used a mafalda (small broken lasagna noodle shape) which was great. Looking forward to trying other recipes of yours.
I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed this one as well and really appreciate the comment and rating!
I’m just about to try this – I, like your son, love mushrooms! – but I also just bought a new bottle of Marsala for chicken Marsala and will probably use that instead of brandy. I know it’s a brandy-fortified wine. Or I could spring for a cheap bottle of brandy…
Hi Liz, you can definitely try it with Marasala if that is what you have on hand. Hope you enjoy!
Looks good and cannot wait to make it. Any thoughts on how to lower sodium content, as a few family members must watch their levels? Thanks
Hi Mary, you can reduce the sodium by not salting the water and not using cheese, however both will compromise the taste of the dish. Those are really the only two parts of the dish that have sodium.
Can we substitute with Rum instead of brandy?
Hi Megana, I haven’t tested the recipe with rum in place of the brandy. Dry vermouth could work if you have that but I’m not sure about rum. If you do try it, let us know how it turns out.
Greetings Jim! I have prepared and enjoyed so many of your dishes over the last 2 years including this one which is one of the favorites. Your food is simple to make and delicious beyond description. Of course James takes your videos to the next level with his honest reviews whether good or not so good. Keep teaching us and feeding us! Thanks again 👍🏻
Hi Ricki, I appreciate your comment and kind words. I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipes and videos!
Fantastic dish! My Sicilian husband said never in his life had he had tasted these ‘exotic’ flavors. So easy to make for such a special taste.
Hi Pam, I’m so happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment!
I have made this once before and it was delicious. We are visiting our son and we will make this for him tomorrow. He is a vegetarian so this will be an excellent choice.
Hi Tom, I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and really appreciate the comment!
Made it last night for my boyfriend and a good friend. My only regret is that they didn’t slow down. They ate like someone was going to steal their bowls from them. My only quibble is with the prep time is it took more than five minutes to prep if you’re like me and need to wipe the dirt off of the mushrooms before slicing. (It probably took 20 minutes to prep everything, which is totally cool.) I used baby bella mushrooms and some dried porcini mushrooms I reconstituted, strained the soaking water and used it instead of pasta water to thin the sauce. Reminds me of my favorite Italian restaurant that I ate at growing up in OC as a kid, Roma d’Italia. I’ve eaten there as an adult and it’s still fantastic. I live in Manhattan and can’t afford to eat at any Italian restaurants other than Mimi’s. Next on the agenda is your short rib ragu!
Hi Jennifer, so happy you enjoyed this recipe and here’s hoping the short rib ragu is another success for you!
This looks amazing…sadly. I am.lactose intolerant. Need to think.of a substitute for the cream. Maybe plain Greek Yogurt. Love your recipes!
I appreciate the comment and so happy you’re enjoying the recipes. If you do find a lactose-free alternative, please let us know how it turns out for you!
Not sure where you live, but here in Nova Scotia there’s a brand, Natrel, that makes a whole line of lactose-free milk products. I’ve used them in several recipes and they’re excellent.
So delicious. It’s my favorite pasta dish right now!!!!!!!
Hi Cheryl, thanks for the comment. I’m so happy this is your favorite pasta dish!
I made this for dinner last night. OMG!!!!!!! It was sooooo good! I accidently bought a 1/2 pint of heavy cream(which left me 4 oz. short). I added 4 oz. cream cheese. It was fantastic! Thanks for the great recipes. Keep them coming!
Hi John, so happy you enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment!
I just made this dish and it was absolutely wonderful! I didn’t have brandy and submitted a dry sherry instead and I thought the tase was perfect. This is definitely a keeper for me! Fantastic!!
Hi Jane, so happy you enjoyed this one and thanks for the comment and review!
Absolutely stellar meal, delicious and hearty. I tried a version without alcohol, as well, by using pomegranate balsamic vinegar, but it falls slightly short of the original’s glory. 10/10
Hi Stefan, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed! Thanks for sharing your non-alcohol substitution!
This was delicious and super easy! I even used a vegan HWC and it did great actually! I was worried, but it made a great sauce.
Hi Chastity, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed this one!
Hi Jim, thanks for this awesome recipe! I made it for my wife who really loved it (as did I). Definitely a 9+ James’ dish! We only had cognac lying around, which worked wonderfully. As you suggested, my house continues to smell delicious the following day.
The long pole in this tent is definitely sauteeing the mushrooms, as you’re going to take about 6-8 minutes per batch and you’ll likely have 3. That right there is 18-24 minutes of time, maybe more. I wish there were a shortcut for this part.
Quick question: I found I didn’t need quite as much pasta water as you to keep the sauce liquid. My guess on this is that you’re using that macho 14″ saucepan, while I’m limited to my much less imposing 12″ one. With less surface area, I think less liquid is evaporating. If you agree this could be true, might be helpful to note that different size pans will drive different levels of required pasta water. I also wonder if a bit less cream and more pasta water could be used with good results.
A delicious recipe–I’m grateful you shared it with us!
Thanks for the comment, Jed. Glad you enjoyed it! There are so many variables that can come into play when cooking, including the size of the pan, the amount of time the pasta is sitting around waiting for folks to come to the table, etc. which is why I recommend starting off by adding the pasta water just a few ounces at a time.
Hiya Jim, this is Eamonn from Ireland here! This was absolutely amazing, thanks a million! Going to spread the good word of sipandfeast, you’re some man for one man, keep up the great work young man!
Hi Eamonn, so happy you enjoyed the recipe and really appreciate the kind words. Thank you!
ESo glad to have this recipe. It is a great favorite of my Sicilian husband. Can’t wait to cook this recipe for him. Thank you
Thanks for the comment, Jane, and hope you enjoy!
Absolutely delicious! Thank you for the recipe!
Hi Betty, so happy to hear you enjoyed this one and really appreciate the comment and review!
I do not like the taste or texture of mushrooms, but the rest of the sauce sounds wonderful. What if I left out the mushrooms and used chicken or something else in place. Would that work?
Hi there, you can take out the mushrooms and add sliced chicken if you’d like.
Wow – another winner! Made this tonite and it was amazing! Used Cognac vs Brandy because that’s what we had. Leftovers for tomorrow!!!!
Thanks so much and Happy New Year!!
Hi Debbie, thanks for the comment and so happy you enjoyed this one! Happy New Year!