Brown Butter Mushroom Pasta (Print Version)
Fettuccine with caramelized mushrooms in a rich brown butter cream sauce, topped with parmesan and fresh herbs.
# Recipe Ingredients:
→ Pasta
01 - 12 ounces fettuccine or linguine
→ Mushrooms
02 - 14 ounces cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
03 - 1 tablespoon olive oil
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
→ Sauce
05 - 5 tablespoons unsalted butter
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - ¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
08 - ⅔ cup grated Parmesan cheese
09 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
10 - Pinch of nutmeg (optional)
→ Finishing Touches
11 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley or chives
12 - Additional grated Parmesan, for serving
# Directions:
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 ½ cup of the starchy pasta water before draining.
02 - While the pasta cooks, heat the olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sliced mushrooms in an even layer and sauté for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until deeply golden and all released moisture has evaporated. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
03 - Reduce the heat to medium. Add the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter to the same skillet. Cook, swirling the pan gently, for 3 to 4 minutes until the butter turns a warm golden brown and releases a nutty aroma.
04 - Add the minced garlic to the browned butter and sauté for about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly softened.
05 - Pour in the heavy cream and whisk to combine, scraping up any caramelized bits from the bottom of the pan. Let the sauce simmer gently for 2 to 3 minutes until it begins to thicken and coat 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 desired. Return the sautéed mushrooms to the pan and toss to combine.
07 - Add the drained pasta to the skillet and toss gently to coat every strand in the sauce. Gradually add the reserved pasta water, a splash at a time, until the sauce reaches a silky, clinging consistency.
08 - Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. Remove from the heat, sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs, and serve immediately with extra Parmesan on the side.
# Expert Advice:
01 -
- Browning the butter transforms a simple cream sauce into something that tastes like you spent three times as long making it.
- It uses everyday ingredients but delivers the kind of depth you would expect from a restaurant kitchen.
- Cleaning up is minimal since everything happens in one skillet and one pot.
02 -
- Do not crowd the mushrooms in the pan because they will steam instead of browning and you will lose that deep caramelized flavor.
- Brown butter can go from perfect to burnt in seconds so stay at the stove and keep swirling the pan while watching the color change.
- Adding parmesan off the heat or when the pan is too hot can cause it to clump and separate rather than melting into a silky sauce.
03 -
- Reserve more pasta water than you think you need because you cannot get it back once the pasta is drained and it is the difference between a sauce that clings and one that slides off.
- Grate your parmesan as finely as possible so it dissolves seamlessly into the hot cream instead of leaving stringy shreds throughout the sauce.