Creamy Brown Butter Mushroom Pasta (Printable Version)
Fettuccine with caramelized mushrooms in a velvety brown butter cream sauce, finished with parmesan and fresh herbs.
# What You Need:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 oz fettuccine or linguine
→ Mushrooms
02 - 14 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
03 - 1 tbsp olive oil
04 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
→ Sauce
05 - 5 tbsp unsalted butter
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 3/4 cup plus 2 tbsp heavy cream
08 - 2/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 - Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
→ Finishing Touches
11 - 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or chives
12 - Extra grated Parmesan, for serving
# How To Make It:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add fettuccine and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of starchy pasta water before draining.
02 - Heat olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced mushrooms in an even layer and cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir. Continue sautéing for 7-8 minutes total until deeply golden and all released moisture has evaporated. Transfer mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
03 - Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 5 tbsp butter to the same skillet. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for 3-4 minutes until the butter foams, then turns a warm amber color and releases a toasted nutty aroma. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
04 - Add minced garlic to the browned butter and sauté for 1 minute until fragrant. Pour in heavy cream, whisking to scrape up all the caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce simmer gently for 2-3 minutes until it slightly thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
05 - Stir in Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Return the sautéed mushrooms to the skillet and toss to combine.
06 - Add drained pasta to the sauce and toss gently until every strand is evenly coated. Add reserved pasta water one splash at a time if the sauce needs loosening. Taste and adjust seasoning. Remove from heat, sprinkle with fresh herbs, and serve immediately with extra Parmesan alongside.
# Helpful Hints:
01 -
- The nutty depth of brown butter transforms a simple cream sauce into something that tastes like you spent three hours on it.
- It uses pantry staples and comes together fast enough for a weeknight but feels special enough for company.
02 -
- Do not rush the mushroom browning step because crowded wet mushrooms will boil instead of sear and you will lose all that concentrated savory flavor.
- Brown butter can cross into burnt butter in seconds so pull the pan off heat the moment you see amber flecks and smell that nutty aroma.
03 -
- Grate your parmesan on the finest holes of a microplane so it dissolves seamlessly into the cream rather than clumping.
- Always save more pasta water than you think you need because it is the difference between a sauce that slides off the noodles and one that hugs them.