Creamy Lemon Mushroom Pasta Recipe
This is what I make when I want restaurant pasta at home. The technique is what makes it special. First, you get a hard sear on the mushrooms to concentrate their flavor, then you build a pan sauce with white wine, cream, and starchy pasta water that perfectly coats every strand of pasta.
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti or fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms (like cremini and shiitake), sliced
- 1 large shallot, finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup dry white wine (like Pinot Grigio)
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions until al dente.
Before you drain the pasta, reserve at least 1 cup of the starchy cooking water. This water is a key ingredient for the sauce.
Sear the Mushrooms
While the pasta cooks, heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
Once the butter is melted and foaming, add the sliced mushrooms in a single, even layer. Let them cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes. This allows them to develop a deep golden-brown crust.
Stir the mushrooms and continue to cook for another 4-5 minutes, until they are browned all over and have released their liquid.
Add the shallot, garlic, fresh thyme, salt, and pepper to the skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes more, until the aromatics are fragrant.
Build the Sauce
Pour the white wine into the skillet to deglaze, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the wine cook until it has almost completely evaporated.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Stir in the heavy cream, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Bring the sauce to a gentle simmer and let it cook for ~5 minutes to thicken slightly.
Combine and Finish
Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet with the sauce. Add 1/2 cup of the reserved pasta water.
Toss everything together vigorously. The starchy water will help the sauce emulsify and cling to the pasta. If the sauce looks too thick, add more pasta water a tablespoon at a time until it reaches a silky consistency.
Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the grated Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, and toss again until the cheese is melted and the sauce is creamy.
Serve immediately, with more grated Parmesan on top.
Creamy Lemon Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound spaghetti or fettuccine
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound mixed mushrooms like cremini and shiitake, sliced
- 1 large shallot finely chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup dry white wine like Pinot Grigio
- 1 cup heavy cream
- Zest and juice of 1 lemon
- 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese plus more for serving
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
Method
- Cook pasta in salted water until al dente, reserve 1 cup pasta water.
- Melt butter and oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add mushrooms in single layer, cook undisturbed 3-4 minutes until golden brown.
- Stir and cook additional 4-5 minutes until browned all over.
- Add shallot, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper; cook 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add wine, scrape pan bottom, cook until nearly evaporated.
- Reduce heat to medium-low; add cream, lemon zest and juice. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Add drained pasta and 1/2 cup pasta water to sauce, toss well.
- Remove from heat, stir in Parmesan and parsley until creamy.
- Serve topped with extra Parmesan.
