Mushroom Alfredo Pasta
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This creamy mushroom Alfredo pasta is a cozy, restaurant-quality dish that’s easy to make at home. Inspired by a meal I had at Rolf & Daughters in Nashville, this recipe swaps the traditional heavy cream for a lighter, more flavorful sauce made with reduced white wine, tangy crème fraîche, and plenty of Parmesan. The result is a rich, silky pasta that feels indulgent without being overly heavy.
For the best flavor and texture, I use a mix of mushrooms like maitake (hen of the woods), shiitake, and morels – but you can use any combination of your favorites. The key is to sauté the mushrooms in batches so they sear and develop a golden-brown crust instead of steaming. Tossed together with pasta and creamy Alfredo sauce, it’s a comforting dish that highlights the earthy, savory flavor of mushrooms in every bite. Fans of mushrooms will want to check out this creamy mushroom ragu sauce, creamy mushroom toast and creamy mushroom soup with Brie.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Elevated comfort food. Creamy Alfredo sauce gets a gourmet twist with white wine, crème fraîche, and Parmesan.
- Earthy, umami-rich mushrooms. A mix of sautéed mushrooms adds depth and texture to every bite.
- Restaurant-quality at home. Inspired by a memorable Nashville dining experience, this dish feels special but is easy to recreate.
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Maitake mushrooms – Maitake mushrooms, also known as hen-of-the-woods mushrooms, have a rich earthy taste. While they are predominately used in cooking, they are also lauded for their numerous health benefits. These mushrooms can be found at farmers markets, Asian markets and some Whole Foods stores.
- Shiitake mushrooms – Shiitake mushrooms have a meaty texture with an earthy, buttery flavor. The stems of shiitakes are fibrous and need to be trimmed before the cap is sliced.
- Morel mushrooms – Morel mushrooms are a wild mushroom with an earthy, nutty flavor in season in spring though they can be found dried year round. If using dried mushrooms, soak the mushrooms in warm water until soft to reconstitute them.
- Crème fraîche – This recipe uses crème fraîche rather than heavy cream for a rich velvety alfredo sauce with a slightly tangy flavor.
- White wine – Use a dry white wine for this mushroom alfredo so it won’t overpower the dish by making it too sweet. While I will use just about any white wine in a pinch I prefer cooking with Sauvignon blanc. Never cook with a wine you wouldn’t drink!
- Pasta – I love using paccheri rigate, thick rounds like over-sized rigatoni in this recipe. The shape holds the creamy sauce well though other tubular shapes like penne or a shape like farfalle work well too.
A full ingredient list with exact amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
Pro tip
Golden rule for golden mushrooms: Don’t crowd the pan – let them sear, not steam. Mushrooms need space! Cook in batches for that perfect golden-brown crust.
Swaps and Substitutions
- Cream: Heavy cream will give you a more traditional Alfredo, but crème fraîche adds a tangy brightness that keeps the sauce balanced.
- Mushrooms: Maitake, shiitake, and morels create the best depth of flavor, but cremini, oyster, or button mushrooms also work well if that’s what you have.
How to Make Mushroom Alfredo (Step-by-Step)
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat through. Working in batches if needed to not overcrowd the pan, add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms reduce in size, about 3 minutes.
Add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms are golden brown, about an additional 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and heat through. Add the garlic and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are tender, about 3 minutes.
Add the wine and let reduce by about half, about 4 minutes.
Whisk in the crème fraîche until combined. Stir in the Parmesan followed by the parsley, chives and thyme then season with salt and pepper.
Return the mushrooms to the sauce and stir to coat.
Add the mushroom sauce to the pasta and stir to combine, adding some of the pasta cooking water about ¼ cup at a time util the pasta is creamy. Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese.
Why are my mushrooms soggy?
- Cleaning mushrooms. When cleaning your mushrooms, don’t run them under water like you would other vegetables. They act as a sponge and will absorb more water. Instead use a damp paper towel to clean any dirt or debris from the mushrooms.
- Cook at a high heat. Since mushrooms hold excess water, if the heat of the pan is not high enough, the mushrooms may boil in the water that seeps out. You want the water to evaporate so the mushrooms turn golden brown.
- Don’t over-crowd the pan. When cooking mushrooms, either cook them in batches or add them to the pan a little at a time. As the mushrooms cook and shrink, you can add more to the pan. If the pan is overcrowded the mushrooms will steam rather than sauté properly.
What to do if the sauce coagulates
If a cream sauce is left to sit, it can often coagulate and look clumpy. To thin the sauce I recommend adding additional pasta water, creme fraiche or a bit of heavy cream about a tablespoon at a time.
FAQ – Frequently Asked Questions
Maitake, shiitake, and morels create the best depth of flavor, but cremini, oyster, or button mushrooms also work well if that’s what you have.
Yes! Heavy cream will give you a more traditional Alfredo, but crème fraîche adds a tangy brightness that keeps the sauce balanced.
Yes! This recipe is already meatless, but make sure to use a vegetarian Parmesan (or similar hard cheese) if serving vegetarians.
I love using paccheri rigate, thick rounds like over-sized rigatoni in this recipe. The shape holds the creamy sauce well though other tubular shapes like penne or a shape like farfalle work well too. Long flat noodles like fettuccine and tagliatelle are also classic.
The sauce is best enjoyed fresh, but you can cook the mushrooms and prep the sauce up to a day ahead. Reheat gently and toss with freshly cooked pasta before serving, adding additional pasta water, creme fraiche or a bit of heavy cream about a tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce if needed.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this creamy mushroom pasta recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:
Thanks for cooking with me! If you made this recipe, leave a 🌟 rating and share your thoughts or tips below. I’d love to hear from you!
Mushroom Alfredo Pasta
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Ingredients:
- ½ pound pasta of choice, I use Paccheri Rigate
- 5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 12 ounces mixed mushrooms, I use a combination of maitake, shiitake and morels
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- Kosher salt, to taste
- Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
- 4 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- ¾ cups crème fraîche
- ½ cup grated Parmesan, plus additional for serving
- 1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped chives
- 1 teaspoon chopped thyme leaves
Instructions:
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 8 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set aside. Drain the pasta and return to the pot.
- Heat a large sauté pan over medium heat, add 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat through. Working in batches if needed to not overcrowd the pan, add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms reduce in size, about 3 minutes.
- Add the butter and season with salt and pepper. Continue to sauté until the mushrooms are golden brown, about an additional 3 minutes. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
- Return the pan to medium heat, add the remaining olive oil and heat through. Add the garlic and shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are tender, about 3 minutes.
- Add the wine and let reduce by about half, about 4 minutes.
- Whisk in the crème fraîche until combined. Stir in the Parmesan followed by the parsley, chives and thyme then season with salt and pepper.
- Return the mushrooms to the sauce and stir to coat.
- Add the mushroom sauce to the pasta and stir to combine, adding some of the pasta cooking water about ¼ cup at a time util the pasta is creamy.
- Serve topped with additional Parmesan cheese.
Notes:
Nutrition:
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Found this recipe while doing a Google search for hen of the woods recipes. This looks delicious, and I just might have to try it. Not sure where I would find crème fraîche.
Thank you!! It’s so creamy and delicious! You can typically find crème fraîche at whole foods or next to the sour cream at most grocery stores. Hope you enjoy Crystal!
So excited to try this! What would you recommend as a starter and/or a side dish to complement the mushroom alfredo?
Yay! I love these blistered shishito peppers to serve with it: http://www.cookingwithcocktailrings.com/sides-and-vegetables/2016/blistered-shishito-peppers-with-sea-salt-lemon
Or this broccolini with garlic & red wine vinegar: http://www.cookingwithcocktailrings.com/sides-and-vegetables/2015/8/13/broccolini-with-garlic-red-wine-vinegar
And I can’t resist some garlic bread on the side too! 🙂 Hope you enjoy Taylor!
Where can you buy these mushrooms?
I buy them at Bristol farms, local farmer’s markets or I have actually had very good luck finding them at Asian markets. They are also called hen of the wood mushrooms!
I loved this recipe! It was super good. I made two batches on the sauce. I felt like one wasn’t enough. Instead of noodles I used zoodles (zucchini spiraled). It was delish.
So happy to hear you enjoyed!