Mushroom Alfredo Pasta Recipe
This creamy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta is a quick and satisfying vegetarian dish featuring tender rigatoni and golden sautéed mushrooms smothered in a rich homemade Alfredo sauce with garlic, Parmesan, and fresh herbs. Ready in just 20 minutes, it's a perfect comforting meal for any day of the week.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Diet: Vegetarian
Ingredients
Pasta
- 14 ounces rigatoni
Mushroom Alfredo Sauce
- 14 ounces mushrooms, chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon dried onion
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ cups heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, plus more for serving
Instructions
- Boiling Water Preparation: Set a large pot of salted water over high heat and bring it to a rolling boil, preparing for cooking the pasta.
- Prep Ingredients: While waiting for the water to boil, grate the Parmesan cheese, mince the garlic cloves, chop the mushrooms, and chop the parsley to have all ingredients ready.
- Cook Pasta: Add the rigatoni to the boiling water and cook according to package instructions until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water for later use.
- Brown Mushrooms: Heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Once hot, spread the chopped mushrooms in a single layer and cook for 1 minute. Stir and continue cooking until they release their moisture. Add olive oil and sauté until the mushrooms turn golden brown.
- Build the Sauce: Add salt, black pepper, dried thyme, dried onion, and balsamic vinegar to the mushrooms. Stir in minced garlic and cook for 2 minutes to release aromas.
- Simmer Cream Sauce: Pour in the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the grated Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley, and unsalted butter. Continue stirring until the butter melts and the sauce thickens, simmering for about 1 minute.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Add the cooked rigatoni to the skillet. Pour in ¼ cup of the reserved pasta cooking water and toss to coat evenly. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add additional cooking water as needed to reach desired sauce consistency.
- Serve: Garnish with extra chopped parsley and serve the creamy mushroom Alfredo pasta immediately while hot.
Notes
- Reserve pasta cooking water to adjust sauce consistency as needed.
- Use freshly grated Parmesan for best flavor and smooth melting.
- For extra richness, you can add an additional tablespoon of butter.
- This dish can be made gluten-free by substituting rigatoni with a gluten-free pasta variety.
- Fresh mushrooms work best for flavor and texture; avoid canned mushrooms if possible.
Find it online: https://recipeplenty.com/mushroom-alfredo-pasta-recipe/
