Spicy creamy mushroom pasta is what we make when we are craving a little bit of heat. Spicy Calabrian chili paste, tomato paste, and cream are tossed with sauteed mushrooms, pasta, fresh basil, and Pecorino Romano cheese and can be ready in about 30 minutes.
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We are big fans of spicy food in our home, and add Calabrian chili paste for nearly everything, from potato egg sandwiches, to Calabrian-style potatoes and peppers.
We also love combining it with tomatoes and using it in pasta dishes. That’s how this spicy creamy mushroom pasta with Calabrian chili paste came to be.
This simple pasta dish can be ready in about 30 minutes and is great served alongside a sauteed green like garlic spinach or broccoli rabe.
How to make it
Each number corresponds to the numbered written steps below.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to boil and slice 5 cloves of garlic and 1 pound of cremini or white button mushrooms.
- In a large pan saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until brown. Season with salt to taste, then move the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
- Turn the pan heat down to medium-low and add 2 tablespoons of olive and the sliced garlic. Saute for about 2 minutes until the garlic is golden.
- Add 2 teaspoons of Calabrian chili paste and 3 ounces of tomato paste.
- Cook the pastes in the oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 1 pound of fettuccine to the boiling water and cook to 1 minute less than al dente. Add 3/4 cup of dry white wine to the paste mixture and turn the heat to medium-high to cook off the alcohol and reduce for 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and add 1 cup of pasta water and 1 cup of heavy cream. Stir it all together and bring it to a low simmer. Taste test and season with salt to taste.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and give them a stir, then add the pasta.
- Cook the pasta until it reaches al dente (1-2 minutes), stirring frequently to coat, then remove the pan from the heat.
- Add 1 cup of grated Pecorino Romano and mix well. If the sauce is at all dry, add a touch of pasta water a few ounces at a time to loosen it up. Hand-tear a 1/4 cup of packed fresh basil and add half to the pan. Serve on plates with the remaining basil and more grated cheese. Enjoy!
Top tips for spicy creamy pasta with mushrooms
- Calabrian chili paste. If you enjoy heat, you’re likely already familiar with Calabrian chili paste. It’s smoky and spicy and one of our favorite condiments. If you can’t find Calabrian chili paste, you can substitute with hot red pepper flakes.
- Mushrooms. We used cremini mushrooms for this recipe but you can really use any mushrooms you’d like. White button mushrooms are probably the most widely available in the US and would be fine to use here.
- Wine. We used a dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc) for this recipe. If you can’t have alcohol feel free to omit it entirely.
- Cooking the pasta. As with most of our pasta dishes, we advise that you cook the pasta to 1 minute less than al dente. The reason for this is that you want the pasta to finish cooking in the pan with the sauce so the sauce clings and becomes one with the pasta. You are essentially marrying the pasta and sauce together.
- Save your pasta water! Pasta water is an essential ingredient in many pasta dishes but is even more important for cream sauces as they tend to dry out quickly. If your pasta becomes dry, simply add a little pasta water at a time until it is glossy and perfect again!
More spicy pasta recipes you’ll love
- Roasted zucchini pasta – cubed mozzarella, zucchini slices, and ziti are tossed in a spicy marinara.
- Assassin’s pasta – spaghetti is fried in a spicy tomato and garlic broth.
- Spicy pepper bucatini – cubanelle and long hot peppers with tomatoes, bell peppers, and Pecorino Romano.
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Spicy Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Spicy creamy mushroom pasta with Calabrian chili paste, sauteed cremini mushrooms, tomato, cream, garlic, fresh basil, and Pecorino Romano is a simple pasta that's loaded with flavor and can be ready in 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 pound fettuccine
- 1/4 cup olive oil divided
- 1 pound cremini mushrooms sliced
- 5 cloves garlic sliced
- 2 teaspoons Calabrian chili paste or to taste
- 3 ounces tomato paste
- 3/4 cup dry white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Pecorino Romano grated
- 1/4 cup packed fresh basil hand torn
- 2 cups reserved pasta water will most likely not need all of it
- salt and pepper to taste
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Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- In a very large pan saute the mushrooms in 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat until brown. Season with salt then remove the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
- Turn the heat to medium-low, and add the remaining olive oil and garlic to the pan. Saute until golden (about 2 minutes). Next, add the chili paste and tomato paste. Cook for 5 minutes in the oil stirring frequently.
- Begin cooking the pasta in the boiling water to 1 minute less than al dente.
- Add the wine to the pan and turn the heat to medium-high to cook off the alcohol and reduce for 3 minutes.
- Turn heat down to medium-low and add in 1 cup of pasta water and the cream. Stir it all together and bring it to a low simmer. Taste test and season with salt to taste.
- Add in the mushrooms and the pasta. Cook until the pasta reaches al dente (about 1-2 minutes).
- Turn off the heat and add in the Pecorino Romano and mix well. If the sauce is too dry add a bit of pasta water (a couple ounces at a time) to loosen it up.
- Add in half of the basil leaves. Serve on plates with the remaining basil on top and more grated cheese on the side.
Notes
- Calabrian chili paste is spicy. Adjust to personal taste preferences.
- Always save your pasta water! Use the reserved pasta water to thin out the pasta if it is too thick or dries out. Just add a couple of ounces at a time to get a perfectly creamy consistency.
- Leftovers can be saved for up to 3 days in the fridge.
Nutrition
Calories: 503kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 20.3g | Saturated Fat: 7.7g | Cholesterol: 37mg | Sodium: 151mg | Potassium: 428mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5.9g | Calcium: 139mg | Iron: 5mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Excellent. Definitely make this again. I substituted two tablespoons of nduja for the Calabrian chili paste. Typically have Calabrian chili paste in my pantry, so this was a reminder to re-stock. For anyone doing Calabrian cooking here is a source in the US for nduja:
So happy you enjoyed!
Creamy mushroom sounded like exactly what I wanted, and I was right. Since I live in West Texas, and since a meal just don’t sound right without any meat, I made a couple of small changes.
I cut a couple of pounds of chicken thighs into chunks and sauteed that before the mushrooms. I left out the wine because I don’t much care for wine, so I don’t keep it around the hacienda. And while I can’t get Calabrian chili paste locally, I was able to get harissa here in town, which I think is a bit hotter than the Calabrian chilis. I’m a Texan, so that didn’t bother me none.
All in all, an excellent dish. It really went well with the ciabatta I keep around the house. My only challenge is my pans. I’ve got a couple that are fairly big, but after adding all that chicken, it got a little cozy in there.
Thanks for another great recipe, pardner!
We’re so happy you enjoyed it, Boyd! Thanks for sharing your adjustments as well!
Loved this recipe, simple but delicious. I added Crispy Parmaham on top for my meat obsessed fiance !!
I am vegetarian but topped mine with crumbled feta !! YUM
Amazing recipe. Easy to follow instructions. Jim and Tara take the intimation out of cooking.
Hi Jim & Tara,
Fantastic recipe! I added diced chicken breast to bring some more protein into the mix and it was a hit!
Cooked the chicken and set it aside before the mushrooms, then followed the steps above. Super easy & delicious!
Hi Stefanie, we’re so happy you enjoyed this one and appreciate your comment!
Love this recipe! Thank you for sharing!
Hi Connie, we’re so happy you love it!
Jim
This looks divine!
I will be making this soon!
Thank you for all you do!
Hi L, thanks for the comment and we hope you enjoy!
Can’t get the chili paste so how much chili flakes would be equivalent. Love your recipes!!
Hi Marsha, so happy you’re enjoying the recipes! I’d suggest starting with a half teaspoon of the dried chili flakes and adjusting up as needed.
Any tips on how you would season a protein to add to the pasta?
Hi Madeline, salt and pepper is enough of a seasoning to add to a protein (ie. chicken) since it will be tossed with the pasta. Check out how I season the chicken in my chicken caesar salad recipe – it’s just seared with salt and pepper and would be perfect to add here.
Wonderful! I had to substitute some ingredients, yet it still turned out to be delicious. The heat of the chili pate and earthiness of the mushrooms were a perfect combination. I’m sure it wasn’t as good as this recipe, but we were delighted.
Celebration dinner for my husband who got some encouraging health news today. Tell your people that you love them daily!
Hi Consuelo, I’m so happy you enjoyed the pasta for the celebration dinner and really appreciate your comment. Thank you!
Thanks for sharing this recipe. I had friends over last night and served this pasta. Easy to put together and quick. Everyone loved it, and a number went for seconds. My friends daughter who generally eats smaller portions enjoyed two big servings. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes.
Hi KP, thanks for the comment and so happy you and your friends enjoyed the pasta!
I love spicy foods, most of my family are “spice sensitive”. If you were to rate the paste heat 1 to 10 against Jalapeno Peppers what would you give it?
Hi Dale, pepper heat is measured in Scoville heat units and Calabrians range from 25,000 – 40,000 where jalapenos range from 2500 – 8000. However, Calabrian chili paste which includes oil usually mellows out the spice level. If the people you’re making this for have an aversion to spice/heat, you may want to omit the chili paste. Or serve it on the side for those to add themselves.
Can you substitute Parmesan for the romano
Hi Marsha, yes, you can sub parmesan for the pecorino but keep in mind pecorino is saltier so you will need to taste test and adjust salt as needed.
Looks fabulous! Does it freeze well? Trying to decide whether or not to halve recipe. 🤔
Hi Rebecca, thanks for the comment. In general, cream sauces don’t really freeze well. This one is better fresh.