One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta

Umami-filled dreams are made of this One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta! This rich, easy-to-make vegetarian dish is top tier comfort food status that’s packed with flavor and comes together in just one pot, perfect for a weeknight meal!

Total Time55 minutes
Yield6 servings 1x

Ingredients

Scale

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup white wine
4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
1/2 cup room temperature water, if needed
1 pound dry short pasta such as campanelle or rigatoni
1/2 cup heavy cream or dairy free swap (I like plain Nutpods – affiliate link)
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan, plus extra for serving
fresh ground black pepper, to taste
handful of chopped flat leaf parsley, optional

Instructions

Cook the mushrooms: Melt the butter (2 tablespoons) in a large, heavy bottomed, lidded saucepan or Dutch oven over a medium high heat. Once the butter is starting to froth, add the mushrooms (12 ounces, thickly sliced) and cook for 6-8 minutes until they’re just starting to color.
Cook the onions: Add the olive oil (1 tablespoon) and onions (1 large, thinly sliced) along with a generous pinch of salt (~1/2 teaspoon). Cook for another 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are soft and slightly golden, turning the heat down if needed if they start to burn. Once they’re done, stir in the garlic (3 cloves, minced) and cook for one more minute until aromatic.
Deglaze with wine: Add the white wine (1/2 cup) a heavy splash at a time and use your wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot as the alcohol cooks off; this process should take about 2 minutes total.
Cook the pasta: Next, stir in the vegetable broth (4 cups) and pasta shapes (16 ounces). The level of the liquid should nearly match the level of the pasta – it’s okay if a few pieces of pasta are not completely submerged, they’ll get mixed in as it cooks. If the liquid level is far below the pasta, add 1/2 cup water. Allow the mixture to come to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium low. Put the lid on and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes or so and adding more liquid if things look a little dry. When the pasta has finished cooking, the shapes should be just al-dente, and enough of the liquid should have been absorbed so just a thin but silky sauce remains.
Finish it off: Stir in the heavy cream (1/2 cup), grated parmesan (1/4 cup), and a few grinds of fresh black pepper. Stir well and check to see if the pasta needs more salt. If the sauce seems a little thick, add a splash more water or broth. Otherwise, trust the process! The sauce will thicken up as it cools.
Serve & store: Stir in the chopped parsley (handful) just before serving, and top with more grated cheese if you’d like. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheating is best done on the stovetop; add 1/4 cup water or broth to a small pot and heat over medium, stirring frequently until completely heated through.