Creamy Mushroom
Pasta
: A Must Try For Every Foodie!

10 min read

Posted on 13/05/2024

Article

Recipe

Pasta

Italian food

Quick Summary

Transport your taste buds to Italy with this creamy mushroom pasta recipe. Said to be born out of Chef Luigi Veronelli's ingenuity in the early 1900s, this dish combines fresh mushrooms, cream, and a hint of white wine for a decadent sauce.

Deep Dive

A delicious and satiating dish that is perfect not only for dinner on a cosy cold night but also as a side dish for a summer barbecue. This dish is sure to win hearts over and over again. So, what are you waiting for? Indulge in the heavenly creaminess of this Italian pasta that will leave you craving more! But, before that, let's get to know some trivia about it, shall we?

Where Did It Come From?

Creamy mushroom pasta is a traditional Italian dish that has been celebrated and loved by Italians for ages. Every region has a different variation of the pasta and is also dependent on the hands that prepare it. Mushrooms have been used in Italian cooking for centuries, and they're especially prevalent in the northern part of Italy, which is where creamy mushroom pasta originated.

The Who's & Why's Of Creamy Mushroom Pasta

It was in the early 1900s when a chef by the name of Luigi Veronelli came up with the dish. He experimented by substituting cream for butter to make the sauce for his pasta. At the time, he was working in a restaurant called "La Bussola". The dish was originally made with wild mushrooms that were gathered from the woods and then cooked with milk or cream. The milk or cream helped them soften and absorb the flavours from other ingredients in the dish, hence its name — creamy mushroom pasta!

The Mushroom Magnificence

Creamy mushroom pasta is one of the most popular types of pasta in Italian cuisine and is a must-try for every food enthusiast out there. As you continue to make it over time, give it a little whirl of your own. Are you already drooling? We are too! Let's dig into the recipe for a flavoursome supper.

What All You Need?

1 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp olive oil
1 garlic clove, finely grated
1 onion, finely chopped
250 g button chestnut mushrooms, sliced
300 g tagliatelle or linguini
200 g parmesan (or vegetarian alternative), grated, plus extra to serve
100 ml dry white wine
Zest of 1 lemon
200 ml double cream
½ small bunch parsley, finely chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

How to Make?

Heat oil and butter in a pan. Add chopped onions and fry on low heat for about 10 minutes or until softened and translucent.
Add chopped mushrooms and cook on low heat for about 10 minutes. Add garlic and cook further.
Add wine and bring it to a boil. Then, cook it on a low flame until the liquid is reduced by half.
Now, add cream and bring to a boil. Add lemon zest and grated parmesan and season with salt and pepper.
On the side, boil the pasta in salted water. You can add a little oil to prevent the pasta from sticking together.
Do remember to take out about 100 ml of the water in which pasta is cooked.
Add boiled pasta to the creamy mushrooms and enough pasta water to loosen up the creamy mix.
Serve on a plate and garnish with chopped parsley.
Voila! Enjoy it warm with a wine of your choice.

Tips & Tricks

While parmesan cheese lends a delightful richness and depth to the sauce, feel free to experiment with other cheeses to find your perfect flavour profile.
If you want to make the pasta heart-healthy, you can use yoghurt instead of heavy cream.
You can try brown mushrooms or even Portobello mushrooms instead of white mushrooms in this recipe.

blurb

It was only in the 20th century that creamy mushroom pasta started to gain popularity outside of Italy, particularly in the United States.

Button, cremini and portobello mushrooms are the same mushrooms. The only difference is their age, otherwise the species are the same.

Did you know that creamy mushroom pasta is commonly called 'pasta ai funghi' in Italy?