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This garlic mushroom pasta recipe is easy to make and incredibly delicious! The garlic butter parmesan sauce is freshened up with a touch of lemon and parsley.
You may also like my Easy Pink Sauce Pasta or this Creamy Spinach Bacon Orzo next.
Why you’ll love it
This dish is made with simple ingredients. Garlic butter mushroom pasta is great for a quick weeknight dinner but also perfect for serving company. Lemon and mushrooms is such a good combo that you don’t see too often. Let me know how you like it!
I rarely cook with pappardelle, but whenever I do decide to use it, I think to myself that I should do it more often. It just feels fancy, but it’s not any more difficult to boil than any other pasta shape. Those ribbons go perfectly with the buttery mushroom sauce.
What you’ll need
- Pasta – I like a longer shape like pappardelle, but serve with whatever pasta you prefer
- Olive oil and butter – for sautéing and the base of the sauce
- Onion and garlic – tasty aromatics. I like using sweet onions.
- Mushrooms – I chose cremini/baby bellas
- Chicken broth – for more savory depth
- Dijon mustard and lemon juice and zest – for brightness and enhancing flavor. You don’t taste them individually.
- Parmesan – use a good-quality block and grate it yourself. It melts better and has the best flavor.
- Parsley – a pop of freshness
Pro tip
I try to eke out as much flavor as possible by making sure the mushrooms and onions get a good sear. Don’t rush this step!
How to make garlic mushroom pasta
This is an overview with step-by-step photos. Full ingredients & instructions are in the recipe card below.
Cook the pasta. Meanwhile, sauté the mushrooms and onions in the oil and some butter in a skillet, stirring occasionally, until the water is cooked off and they’re nicely seared. Add in the remaining butter, the garlic and Dijon, and cook for a minute.
Pour in the broth, and add the lemon juice and zest. Let it bubble for another minute. Remove from the heat, and stir in the parmesan and parsley. Add a splash of pasta water to the sauce, drain the pasta, then toss it with the sauce. Season with salt & pepper.
Tools for this recipe
Check out Natasha’s favorite kitchen essentials, gadgets, and cookware!
- I use one of my fav kitchen tools to zest the lemon, my Microplane zester/grater. It’s also great for grating cheese. 😉
- This skillet is the one I use.
- A pair of kitchen tongs makes it simple to toss and serve this pasta.
Substitutions and variations
- Use vegetable broth if you’re vegetarian. Dry white wine also works great for this dish. I typically cook with either sauvignon blanc or pinot grigio. I don’t really have any brand preference.
- If you’ve got other fresh herbs on-hand, feel free to add them in!
- You can definitely try a different kind of mushroom for this recipe (white mushrooms come to mind). Just be sure to brown them well!
What to serve with mushroom pasta
- A slice of fresh crusty bread or a dinner roll is a good idea, or try Garlic Bread.
- I like this Super Simple Parmesan Arugula Salad for an easy and elegant pairing, or try spring mix with this Homemade Italian Dressing.
Leftovers and storage
- Store leftovers for 3-4 days in the fridge in an airtight container.
- The pasta can dry out over time, so you might want to add a splash of white wine or broth when reheating. Do so slowly over a low heat.
- I don’t recommend freezing leftovers.
Love mushrooms and pasta? Try these
If you made this easy mushroom pasta recipe, let me know in the comments below! Or tag me #saltandlavender on Instagram.
Garlic Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 4 ounces uncooked pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons butter divided
- 1/2 medium onion chopped
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup chicken broth or veg broth or white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice + zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/2 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
- Salt & pepper to taste
Instructions
- Boil a salted pot of water and cook the pasta al dente according to package directions.
- Add the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter to a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the onions and mushrooms. Sauté, stirring occasionally, until the water has been released from the mushrooms & cooked off and everything gets a good sear and is browned/caramelized (this gives a ton of flavor). It'll take 8-10 minutes or possibly a bit longer.
- Stir in the rest of the butter, plus the garlic and Dijon mustard. Cook for about a minute.
- Add in the broth and lemon juice + zest, and let it bubble for about a minute or so.
- Take the pan off the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese and parsley. Add a splash of the hot pasta water prior to draining the pasta (a couple tablespoons) and then toss the pasta with the sauce. Season with salt & pepper as needed and serve immediately.
Notes
- You could stretch this recipe to feed 4 people (just add more pasta) if you’re serving it with something else. This recipe can be easily doubled, but the mushrooms and onions will likely take longer to properly sear since there will be more in the pan.
- This recipe also appears in the Salt & Lavender: Everyday Essentials hardcover cookbook.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
© Salt & Lavender Inc. Content and photographs are copyrighted. Sharing this blog post is much appreciated, but copying and pasting full recipes without authorization to social media is strictly prohibited.
Great side dish !!!
Thanks, Kathy!
Very tasty! Used two types of mushroom and substituted onion with banana Shallots (just because I had them and love their sweet taste!). Definitely one to cook again! 😋
Wonderful!! Thanks, Erika!
Parmesan should not go in with the saws should always go in at the end because if you put it in with the sauce all it does is bind everything together and you can’t stir the ingredients to look consistent like your picture I don’t see any Parmesan on that at all I am a chef 24 years I follow you recipe to the t and I should have known better than to put parmesan in the base sauce
Omg … This is 5 stars dish!!
I made baked tofu for me and salmon for my husband with a cucumber, arugula and avocado salad with olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper and voila! Amazing dinner!!! 🤤 🙌🏼🙏🏼❤️
Thank you!
You are very welcome, Kiki!
Made this for tonight’s dinner as we had a glut of mushrooms and needed and a quick & easy meal.
Really simple, very tasty, enjoyed by everyone and will definitely become a regular mid week dinner meal for our family
Thank you for sharing
That’s wonderful to hear, Paula!! 😀 Thanks for taking the time to write me a review!
Very tasty and easy to prepare. Family loved it!
Thank you, Mimi! Glad to hear it!
Made this recipe last night and although it was quite oily, I absolutely loved it. It was a perfect balance between garlic and lemon. Next time I may use a little less oil or butter but this recipe is definitely a keeper.
Thanks, Nikki!!
Wow! This was an amazing recipe! Thank you for posting it!
You are very welcome, Nancy!
Made this recipe for the first time yesterday and it was amazing. An absolute keeper. The touches of lemon and Dijon mustard put it over the top. This is the perfect pasta course of a four course Italian dinner. Will be making it many times in the future. The only critique I would respectfully offer on the printed recipe would be your estimate of the prep time. Nobody could prep this in 10 minutes. But that’s OK. The time and effort is worth it in the end. Thank you.
Hi Roger! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Sounds wonderful can not wait to make it!!!
Enjoy, Penny!