Creamy Brown Butter Mushroom Pasta (Printer-friendly)
Fettuccine with golden mushrooms in nutty brown butter cream sauce, finished with parmesan and fresh herbs.
# What You'll 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
→ Brown Butter Cream 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 - Additional grated Parmesan, for serving
# How to Prepare:
01 - Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil. Add the fettuccine and cook according to package directions until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil and 2 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms in an even layer and sauté without stirring for the first 3 minutes to develop color. Continue cooking 7–8 minutes total until the mushrooms are deeply golden and all released moisture has evaporated. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 5 tbsp butter to the same skillet. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, for 3–4 minutes until the butter foam subsides, the milk solids turn golden brown, and a fragrant nutty aroma develops. Watch carefully to prevent burning.
04 - Add the minced garlic to the browned butter and sauté for 1 minute, stirring constantly, until softened and fragrant.
05 - Pour in the heavy cream and whisk to combine, scraping up any caramelized browned 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.
06 - Stir in the grated Parmesan cheese until melted and smooth. Season with salt, black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg if using. Return the sautéed mushrooms to the skillet and toss to coat in the sauce.
07 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss gently to coat every strand in the sauce. If the sauce is too thick, add the reserved pasta water a splash at a time until the desired consistency is reached.
08 - Taste and adjust the seasoning with additional salt or pepper as needed. Remove from the heat, sprinkle generously with chopped parsley or chives, and serve immediately with extra Parmesan on the side.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- The brown butter does most of the heavy lifting, making you look like a far more skilled cook than you actually need to be.
- It reheats beautifully the next day, which means lunch is already handled before you even think about it.
- Everything cooks in one skillet, so the cleanup situation is mercifully under control.
02 -
- Do not crowd the mushrooms in the pan. If they are stacked on top of each other they will steam instead of sear and you will miss that deep golden flavor entirely.
- Brown butter can move from perfect to burned in about thirty seconds, so stay at the stove and watch it like you are defusing something delicate.
03 -
- Grate your parmesan on the finest holes of a microplane so it melts invisibly into the sauce instead of leaving stringy clumps behind.
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you need. That starchy liquid is the difference between a sauce that clings to every noodle and one that pools sadly at the bottom of the bowl.