Mushroom Alfredo

Pasta with Alfredo sauce is a popular Italian-inspired American recipe. While the original recipe for fettuccine Alfredo is delicious as is, we love it even more with added veggies.

If you are wondering how to add mushrooms to your Alfredo sauce, you are in the right place.

The flavor and texture of browned mushrooms are a perfect flavor match to the cream, butter, and parmesan in Alfredo sauce.

You can make this recipe with dairy ingredients or substitute non-dairy alternatives for the cream, cheese, and butter.

No matter which ingredients you use, this vegetarian meal is rich, creamy, smooth, tasty, and so easy to make you’ll want to do it every night. It’s a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

Uh, and if you are looking for something a little lighter, check out our cauliflower Alfredo sauce.

Alfredo sauce is often served with Italian tagliatelle or fettuccine noodles.

Typically fettuccine and tagliatelle contain eggs, but you can also find them without egg.

Mushroom alfredo is delicious with most long-shaped pasta types. Try linguine, bucatini, bavette, spaghetti, and pappardelle.

Can you make mushroom Alfredo with a short pasta type?

Sure, use whatever pasta you have, from penne to fusilli, rotini to farfalle. It’s going to taste delicious no matter what pasta you use.

Substitute gluten-free pasta for regular pasta to make this recipe gluten-free.

Mushrooms

Get a mix of white and brown mushrooms, such as button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, baby Bella mushrooms, and portobello mushrooms. You can use fresh or frozen mushrooms.

Want even more vegetables? Add in a handful of spinach or a cup of frozen peas.

Butter

Use unsalted butter (best if European-style butter) or non-dairy butter.

Cream

Use heavy cream or non-dairy heavy cream.

If you can’t find non-dairy cream, substitute vegan cream cheese, which is easier to find in most stores.

In this case, you’ll also need a little plant milk to make the vegan cream cheese saucy.

Parmesan cheese

Grated parmesan (Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano) or a vegan cheese that melts.

I like Vio Life and Simply V, but there are many more.

Remember that while most Vegan products might be an excellent ethical and environmentally friendly alternative to nonvegan ones, they are often ultra-processed and not as healthy as advertised.

Garlic

Grated or minced garlic is a classic in Alfredo sauce.

Nutmeg or lemon zest

To take this dish to the next level, add a small amount of grated nutmeg, which is a great flavor match with the butter and cream.

If you don’t like grated nutmeg, try a small amount of grated lemon zest.

Parsley

Fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped and added on top before serving.

Salt and pepper

Sea salt or, kosher salt, and freshly ground black pepper.

Clean and chop the mushrooms. To clean the mushrooms, rub the dirt off with a paper towel if not soiled.

Try not to wash the mushrooms with water because they’ll absorb it, get soggy, and take longer to brown.

Cook the mushrooms in a large skillet with olive oil, salt, and pepper on high heat for about 5 minutes until well browned. Stir often.

The mushrooms will release water. Keep cooking them until all the water is gone and they start sticking to the pan.

Keep browning the mushrooms on medium heat on the dry pan for another few minutes. Brown color equals flavor.

Add butter and grated garlic, and sauté for one minute, stirring often.

Now, you can boil the pasta in a large pot with plenty of salted water.

Add the cream and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the cream thickens.

Turn the heat off and add the parmesan cheese and grated nutmeg. Stir the parmesan in the sauce until it melts.

When the pasta is al dente, drain it and add it to the mushroom Alfredo sauce. Add some pasta cooking water if the sauce gets too thick.

Stir the pasta in the sauce until fully coated, then serve immediately.

Tip: If your pasta gets thick and pasty, add a ladleful of pasta cooking water to thin it up.

Serve in a bowl and garnish with chopped fresh parsley and a twist of freshly ground black pepper.

This pasta Alfredo recipe is a quick dinner idea that you can serve on its own or pair with a veggie-packed side dish, for example:

• Roasted Brussels sprouts with a mustard vinaigrette.
• Simple side salad with leafy greens.
• Delicious pear salad with mixed salad greens.
• Baked broccoli with garlic and lemon marinade.
• Garlic roasted cauliflower florets.
• Fennel salad with orange wedges and pomegranate seeds.
• Red cabbage salad with orange and pinto beans.
• Roasted butternut squash – tender and caramelized.

If you want a lighter alternative to Alfredo sauce, try our cauliflower alfredo. We substitute blended cauliflower and ricotta cheese for the cream and butter.

It’s Louise’s favorite Alfredo sauce, and we are sure you’ll love it too!

Check out our cauliflower Alfredo sauce.

Alfredo with broccoli florets

Granted, we are obsessed with adding veggies to our food, and there is no better way to get your greens than adding them to a creamy pasta dish.

It’s a variation of our cauliflower Alfredo, it’s with broccoli florets, and it’s delicious. Check it out!

Make ahead: Mushroom alfredo pasta doesn’t store well because it gets sticky and pasty, so we don’t recommend making it in advance.

Refrigerator: If you have leftovers, let them cool down completely at room temperature, then store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 24 hours.

Reheat: You can reheat it on a pan with a dash of water in the microwave. Alternatively, add it to an oven dish, mix in more veggies, sprinkle with some cheese, and bake for 10 minutes until golden.

Freezer: This recipe is not suitable for freezing.

If you love mushrooms, get inspiration from these easy mushroom recipes with few ingredients:

• Mushroom risotto: authentic Italian flavor with plenty of chewy mushrooms
• Easy mushroom pasta with cherry tomatoes, a restaurant-worthy pasta dish!
• Tofu mushroom cutlets: an easy dinner idea ready in 20 minutes
• Kung pao tofu with mushrooms and a sweet and sour sauce

Love pasta and only have 30 minutes? Not a problem; these quick and easy pasta recipes are perfect for weeknight dinners:

• Garlic and oil pasta: A classic Italian dish with plenty of garlic, parsley, and flavor
• Mashed broccoli pasta with 6 ingredients only and an easy sauce-technique
• Chickpea pasta salad: A favorite lunch idea and meal-prep-friendly recipe, ready in just 20 minutes!
• Zucchini pasta: A vibrant green pasta with grated zucchini and a cheesy taste
• Spaghetti pomodoro: 15 minutes of cooking, and this tomato-rich pasta is ready!
• Penne arrabbiata: Authentic Italian flavor and fiery tomato sauce in just 20 minutes
• Red pepper pasta: Use canned bell peppers and make this creamy sauce in just 20 minutes!

For many more 30-minute meal ideas, check out our 30-minute meal category page.