Mushroom Spaghetti

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 20

This vegetarian pasta is filled with rich, buttery sautéed mushrooms. I like this sauce because it lets the earthy flavor of the mushrooms shine through the light, white wine sauce that has been seasoned with just a bit of fresh thyme.

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Mushroom Spaghetti

Mushroom Spaghetti

Key Ingredients in This Recipe

Mushrooms – I typically use crimini also known as baby Bella mushrooms when I cook. Bella mushrooms have a light flavor while shiitakes have much more of a meaty texture. I recommend buying whole mushrooms and slicing them yourself so they are more evenly cut than pre-cut mushrooms. Use a damp paper towel to wipe away dirt before slicing the mushrooms.
White wine – White wine is the base for the white wine and mushroom sauce. Use a dry white wine for this pasta since 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!
Spaghetti – This mushroom-heavy pasta dish can be made with any noodle of choice though I opt to serve it with a simple spaghetti.
Pecorino Romano – Pecorino Romano is a hard, salty Italian cheese made from sheep’s milk. Parmesan cheese can be swapped in.

vegetarian mushroom spaghetti with thyme

How to Make Mushroom Spaghetti

Cook the mushrooms in batches. Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat through. Add the shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and allow to melt, then working in batches, add half of the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes.
Add all mushrooms back to the pan. Season with salt and pepper Remove the mushrooms to a bowl and return the pan to the heat. Add the remaining olive oil, butter, mushrooms and the thyme. Add all of the mushrooms back to the pan.
Add the flour and wine. Stir in the flour, cooking until pale brown, about 1 minute. Add the wine, cooking until it’s reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.
Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of water to the boil; add the salt and bring back to the boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta water then drain and return the pasta to the pot.
Combine. Add the mushroom mixture to the pasta, stirring to combine and slowly adding the cheese and half the pasta water until it melts into the sauce.
Serve. Divide among warmed pasta bowls and serve.

Tips and Tricks in This Recipe

Feel free to substitute any of your favorite mushrooms in this pasta – I like to use a mix of baby bella (crimini) and shiitake mushrooms because baby bellas sauté well and they can withstand high temperatures.
Before cooking the mushrooms, use a wet paper towel to wipe them clean.
Sauté mushrooms in batches because, if there are too many mushrooms in the pan at once, they will steam rather than sauté to a perfect golden brown. This takes a bit longer but is worth the resulting flavor!
Save your pasta water! The starchy water helps to create a creamy, glossy sauce.

Why Reserve Pasta Water?

I always recommend reserving some of the pasta cooking water before draining your pasta. The salty, starchy water that the pasta is cooked in adds flavor and helps to bind the sauce to the pasta, making a rich and silky sauce.

Other Recipes to Try

If you enjoy this mushroom spaghetti recipe, I recommend checking out some of these:

Mushroom Spaghetti

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Serves

US Customary – Metric

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
2 medium shallots, thinly sliced
12 ounces baby bella mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
Kosher salt, as needed
Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
1 teaspoon chopped thyme
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup dry white wine
¾ pound spaghetti
½ cup freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese

Instructions:

Heat a large skillet over medium heat, add 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and heat through. Add the shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes. Add 3 tablespoons of the butter and allow to melt, then working in batches, add half of the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, about 6 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper Remove the mushrooms to a bowl and return the pan to the heat. Add the remaining olive oil, butter, mushrooms and the thyme. Add all of the mushrooms back to the pan.
Stir in the flour, cooking until pale brown, about 1 minute. Add the wine, cooking until it’s reduced by about half, about 3 minutes.
Bring a large pot of water to the boil; add the salt and bring back to the boil. Add the pasta and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, about 10 minutes. Set aside 1 cup of the pasta water then drain and return the pasta to the pot.
Add the mushroom mixture to the pasta, stirring to combine and slowly adding the cheese and half the pasta water until it melts into the sauce.
Divide among warmed pasta bowls and serve.

Mushroom Spaghetti