One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Umami-filled dreams are made of this One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta! This rich, easy-to-make vegetarian dish is top tier comfort food status that’s packed with flavor and comes together in just one pot, perfect for a weeknight meal!

What are the ingredients in this One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta?

This vegetarian pasta dish doesn’t have any surprises, and a few ingredients can be swapped if needed. Here’s a list of everything I used and a little info on each:

• butter – All good pasta dishes start with butter!! Okay but seriously, sauteing the mushrooms in butter gives them another incredible layer of flavor. We’ll also use olive oil later!
• mushrooms – You can use any kind of mushrooms, but if you don’t know where to start, I recommend cremini. They add a solid flavor and color to the final dish. You can also use white button mushrooms, or sliced portobellos (these are technically the same species of mushroom).
• olive oil – To cook the onions and add another layer of flavor, use olive oil. Together with the buttery mushrooms and garlic, these flavors are actually perfect!
• onion – I feel like I keep saying this, but sautéed onions give yet another layer of flavor that makes the final dish irresistible!
• garlic cloves – Obviously with all of these ingredients we must include garlic. The recipes says to use three cloves, but definitely measure with your heart.
• white wine – To enhance all the flavors and add some natural acidity, white wine is used to deglaze the pot after cooking the onions and mushrooms. The alcohol cooks off, but leaves behind a bright & complex flavor profile that brings all the sauce ingredients together. You *can* skip it and use broth instead, but you’ll definitely be missing a component of flavor.
• vegetable broth – Use a quality vegetable broth here, as it functions as the base of the sauce.
• water – Adding a little bit of water helps keep the liquid level where it needs to be to cook the pasta. Only add if necessary, and remember you can’t take the liquid out after you add it in!
• short pasta shapes – My favorite shape for this recipe is campanelle. The little grooves and twisted shapes hold the sauce SO well. Other short pasta shapes like rigatoni or bowtie would work too.
• heavy cream – Using heavy cream gives the sauce a rich and luscious texture overall, and I don’t recommend skipping it. However, you could use plain Nutpods instead. Heavy cream hurts my stomach a bit so I always test this as a swap!
• parmesan – Freshly grated is best here. But any is better than none! I like to add it about half at a time so it has a chance to all melt really well into the sauce.
• fresh ground black pepper & kosher salt – Always needed for a homemade meal. Definitely test the pasta after cooking but before serving and see if it needs extra of either one.
• parsley – This is optional, but for some presentation points and that extra touch, I always add some fresh parsley or basil to most pastas. Here I would use some chopped parsley.

Equipment you’ll need to make this pasta:

To make this recipe, you’ll need a few specific pieces of kitchen equipment to get the best results. Here are my recommendations:

• heavy bottomed pot – A Dutch oven is a great example, or you can use any hefty soup pot as well. Make sure the pot comes with a lid.
• cutting board & sharp knife – For all recipes requiring produce prep, I always recommend my favorite Greener Chef XL Bamboo Cutting Board (affiliate link!) along with this Misen Chef’s Knife (affiliate link!).
• wooden spoon – During the process of cooking this recipe, you’ll need to deglaze the pot with liquid and a wooden spoon. Wooden utensils are also great for use in various dishes as they will not scratch nonstick surfaces. This 3-Piece OXO Wooden Spoon Set (affiliate link!) is a solid choice.

How to make this One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta:

Start by picking out your cooking pot! Okay not really step 1, but an important step. Make sure to pick a heavy bottomed pot with a lid. Everything will be cooked in this one pot over the course of the next few steps.

First real step of cooking is to focus on the mushrooms. Melt the butter in a your chosen large pot or Dutch oven. Once the butter is starting to froth, add the mushrooms and cook for 6-8 minutes until they’re just starting to color. Stir them minimally during this time so they can really start to brown everywhere they’re in contact with the pot.

Next, add the olive oil and onions along with a generous pinch of salt. Cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and slightly golden. Once those are done, stir in the garlic and cook for one more minute until you can clearly smell the garlic.

Time to deglaze. Add the white wine a heavy splash at a time and use your wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot as the alcohol cooks off. The onions will start to become jammy as they absorb the moisture. This deglazing process should take 2-3 minutes. 

After deglazing, stir in the vegetable broth and dry pasta. Here is where you’ll need to start adjusting as necessary according to your own cooking conditions. If the liquid level is well below the pasta, go ahead and add in the 1/2 cup of room temperature water. This should help the liquid rise a little to cover up more of the pasta.

The level of the liquid should nearly match the level of the pasta – it’s okay if a few pieces of pasta are not completely submerged, they’ll get mixed in as it cooks. They’ll also be able to absorb steam on top of the surface, since the lid will be on as it cooks.

Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low and let it reach a low simmer. Put the lid on and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so and adding more liquid if things look a little dry.

When the pasta has finished cooking, the shapes should be just al-dente, and enough of the liquid should have been absorbed so just a loose, silky sauce remains. Stir in the heavy cream, grated parmesan, and a few grinds of fresh black pepper.

Keep stirring, and then check to see if the pasta needs more salt or pepper. If the sauce seems a little thick, add a splash more water or broth. Otherwise, trust the process! The sauce will thicken up as it cools too. Stir in the optional chopped parsley just before serving, and top with more grated cheese if you’d like. More cheese is never a bad idea 🙃

Best tips for making one pot pasta:

Here are my best tips for making this pasta successfully in your own kitchen:

• Trust the process. Sometimes, one pot pastas feel weird. Like, when is all this moisture going to leave?? But it does, just give it some time! They usually thicken as they cool, too.
• Adjust as you go. Depending on your specific cooking pot, your heat level, your stove, the temperature of your liquids, cooking time will ~slightly~ change. That’s why a range is listed.
• Lid on = keeps the steam in and cooks faster. Lid off = moisture leaves the pot and cooking slows. Depending on what’s happening in your pot, you might have to do either one.

What to serve with this One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta?

This recipe makes a wonderful vegetarian main dish recipe, but you could easily add some diced chicken to change it up and add some extra protein. Here are some other serving ideas:

• This pasta goes really well with a nice chunk of sourdough or garlic bread for dipping!
• Serve as a side along with any other proteins (steak, grilled salmon, roasted chicken, etc), green salad, or side of roasted vegetables.
• Add a tray of roasted vegetables to your plate, such as the ones from this Roasted Vegetable Orzo dish.

Ways to customize this pasta recipe:

Here are a couple different ways to customize this pasta during the cooking process:

• Add a heafy handful of chopped spinach near the end of cooking.
• Add an easy stir in veggie like frozen peas.
• Use chicken broth instead of veggie broth, and add some cooked chicken at the end.
• Add some red chili pepper flakes to give it some heat.

Is this recipe freezer friendly?

No, I would not recommend freezing this recipe.

How to store One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta:

Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How to reheat One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta:

Reheating is best done on the stovetop; add 1/4 cup water or broth to a soup pot and heat over medium, stirring frequently until silky and completely heated through. Add a little more broth if it starts to look dry while heating up.

Recipe developed by Rachel Phipps.