This mushroom pasta is sauteed garlic butter mushrooms and bacon, all tossed in a creamy parmesan sauce with linguine pasta. A quick and easy dinner option that’s full of savory flavors!
Pasta is always a hit with both kids and adults alike – my family enjoys seafood pasta, pasta pomodoro and creamy mushroom pasta.
I am a huge fan of mushrooms, whether they’re baked, stuffed, roasted or grilled. I just can’t get enough of them! This mushroom pasta is a blend of garlic mushrooms, crispy bacon and homemade parmesan cream sauce, all mixed together to form the most delicious dinner.
How do you make mushroom pasta?
The first step in this recipe is to boil your pasta. While the pasta boils, cook up some mushrooms in butter until they’re browned and caramelized. The mushrooms are tossed with the pasta, homemade parmesan cream sauce, and some cooked bacon. Add more sauteed mushrooms and bacon on top of the pasta, sprinkle a little parsley over the top, then serve and enjoy!
Tips for mushroom pasta
- Be sure to simmer your creamy parmesan sauce over low heat. Never let it come to a boil or it could separate.
- Freshly grated parmesan cheese is a crucial component of this dish as it will melt a lot better than the pre-shredded kind. You can use the packaged grated parmesan cheese that is sold in little tubs.
- This dish is best served as soon as it’s made, as the pasta will absorb the sauce as it sits and it won’t be as creamy reheated the next day.
- I cut my mushrooms into thick slices because I find them easier to eat that way, but you can leave your mushrooms whole if you prefer. Just be sure to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- The mushrooms will release a lot of liquid as they cook. If you wait patiently, that liquid will evaporate off and when that happens, the mushrooms will get that great caramelized exterior.
How to clean mushrooms
To prepare the mushrooms for this pasta, you will need to clean any dirt or grime off the mushrooms. To clean the mushrooms, wet a paper towel and wipe the tops and sides of the mushrooms. You will also want to cut off the bottom tip of the stem which is usually hard and yellowish in color. I like to slice the mushrooms for this dish in thick slices which means cutting the mushrooms vertically in quarters for large mushrooms and in thirds for smaller mushrooms.
Mushroom pasta variations
This creamy mushroom pasta is full of great flavor from the parmesan and sauteed mushrooms. You can modify the dish to add more flavors or textures if you wish.
- Protein: You can add grilled chicken, shrimp or sliced steak to the pasta.
- Pasta: Instead of linguine, you can use your favorite pastas like spaghetti, fettuccine, penne, farfalle, or even cheese tortellini.
- Vegetables: Sauteed veggies would be great in this dish like red onion or zucchini. You can also stir in other veggies such as diced tomatoes, kale, spinach or artichoke hearts.
- Mushrooms: For a more earthy flavor, you can use cremini, portobello, oyster or shiitake mushrooms instead of button mushrooms.
This mushroom pasta is a satisfying comfort food that combines creamy pasta with crispy bacon and golden brown mushrooms. This delicious pasta will quickly become one of your favorite quick and easy dinners.
More great pasta recipes
Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons butter divided use
- 12 ounces mushrooms sliced, I use button mushrooms
- 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 10 ounces linguine pasta
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
- 5 slices bacon cooked and crumbled
- salt and pepper to tastee
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of butter in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Cook the mushrooms for 5-6 minutes or until golden brown.
- Add the garlic to the pan and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Remove the mushroom mixture from the pan and cover to keep warm.
- Wipe out the pan with a paper towel.
- Melt 4 tablespoons of butter in the pan over medium low heat.
- Add the cream and simmer for 4-5 minutes or until just thickened - do not boil.
- Whisk in the parmesan cheese, stirring continuously, until cheese has melted.
- Season the sauce with salt and pepper to taste.
- Drain the pasta and place in the pan with the cream sauce. Add half of the mushrooms and half of the bacon. Toss until everything is coated in the sauce.
- Arrange the remaining mushrooms and bacon on top of the pasta. Sprinkle with parsley then serve.
This was so delicious! The mushrooms and bacon with the cream sauce is the perfect combination. I used baby Bella mushrooms – so good! If you like Fettuccine Alfredo, you will love this!
This was amazing! I love mushrooms and pasta and the bacon was perfect with it. This is my second time using one of your recipes and it won’t be the last! Thanks!
My husband and I really enjoyed this – all the flavors blend so well! I found it too fatty tasting, though. Any suggestions on helping with that? I think to cut back on the butter maybe? But I think it would lose something in the cooking. I do want to make this again, but with less of a fatty taste. Thanks.
You could use less butter, less bacon, or try half and half instead of cream.
Use lite or full olive oil and it would be healthier. Try a marinara sauce, that could be very tasty. I’d experiment with the dish to see how it could best suit you. No matter, it could never be bad tasting with most of the ingredients.
Looks great! What can I use in place of bacon for vegetarian guests so as not to lose the smokiness?
Here are some ideas! https://www.vegetariantimes.com/life-garden/dear-vt-best-veg-substitutes-for-bacon
Hi Sara
Can you use the precut mushrooms they sell in supermarket in this recipe.
Yes that’s fine!
I am so with you – never enough mushrooms! Combined with a pasta like this they are absolutely perfect. This is a go-to weeknight dinner for sure!
Oh wow all those fresh mushrooms on top!!! My kind of comfort food!
Such beautiful photos … you make this simple meal look especially elegant.
It’s fancy enough to pass for date night dinner
My husband and I love pasta and mushrooms, so this will be going into the rotation soon!
This recipe sounds like heaven on a plate. I love the earthy flavor of mushrooms combined with the smoky goodness of bacon. Yum!
This deliciously simple pasta looks divine. Meaty mushrooms and creamy sauce sounds like my kind of dinner.
I know what I will be making for dinner tonight! This looks so savory, delicious and easy too!
There was so much flavor coming from this simple pasta dish. My kiddos loved it and asked for seconds!
I love everything about this pasta! Plus, bacon makes everything better. 🙂
Pasta is always a favorite in our house! This pasta is so good!
This looks like a dream dinner to me! I absolutely love mushrooms. My husband hates them though. I’m going to have to wait for my youngest to come home from college…he and I are the only ones that like mushrooms. 🙁
Those mushroom are making my mouth water! I want this dish in my life now!
Oh My! I just fell in love. This pasta recipe is AMAZING!! I love mushrooms and pasta so much.