Mushroom Pesto Pasta (Printable)

Rich and comforting pasta with sautéed mushrooms in creamy basil pesto sauce. Perfect for an elegant yet simple meal.

# What You'll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 oz penne or fettuccine pasta
02 - Salt for pasta water

→ Mushrooms

03 - 14 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
04 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
06 - 1 tablespoon unsalted butter

→ Pesto Sauce

07 - 3.5 oz basil pesto
08 - ½ cup heavy cream
09 - ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
10 - Salt and black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

11 - Fresh basil leaves
12 - Extra grated Parmesan cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Reserve ½ cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
02 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add sliced mushrooms and sauté for 6-7 minutes until golden and tender. Add minced garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
03 - Lower heat. Stir in basil pesto and heavy cream, mixing until combined. Add grated Parmesan and stir until sauce is smooth.
04 - Toss cooked pasta into the skillet, adding reserved pasta water gradually until reaching desired creamy consistency. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
05 - Transfer to serving plates while hot. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and additional Parmesan cheese.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It feels fancy but uses pantry staples and whatever mushrooms you have on hand.
  • The creamy pesto clings to every piece of pasta without feeling heavy or overdone.
  • You can have dinner on the table in thirty minutes, even on your most distracted evenings.
  • Leftovers taste incredible the next day, cold or reheated with a splash of pasta water.
02 -
  • If you skip reserving the pasta water, the sauce can turn thick and clumpy instead of silky, and there's no good way to fix it after.
  • Crowding the mushrooms in the pan makes them steam and release water instead of browning, so if your skillet is small, cook them in two batches.
  • Adding the garlic too early or on too high heat will burn it instantly and leave a bitter taste that ruins the whole dish.
03 -
  • Taste your pesto before adding salt to the sauce, some store-bought versions are already very salty and you can easily overdo it.
  • If the sauce breaks or looks oily, a tablespoon of pasta water whisked in over low heat will bring it back together.
  • For deeper flavor, use a mix of mushroom varieties like shiitake, oyster, and cremini instead of just one kind.
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