Creamy Mushroom Pasta Thyme (Printable)

Earthy mushrooms and thyme meld in a creamy sauce with tender pasta for an elegant, comforting main dish.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 12 ounces pappardelle

→ Mushrooms & Aromatics

02 - 1.5 pounds mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, button), sliced
03 - 2 tablespoons olive oil
04 - 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
05 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
06 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
07 - 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

→ Sauce

08 - 1/2 cup dry white wine
09 - 2 cups vegetable broth
10 - 1 cup heavy cream
11 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

→ Garnish

13 - Fresh thyme sprigs
14 - Extra Parmesan cheese

# How To Make It:

01 - Heat olive oil and butter in a large deep skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and cook until softened, approximately 3 minutes.
02 - Add sliced mushrooms and sauté until they release their juices and begin to brown, 6 to 8 minutes.
03 - Stir in minced garlic and fresh thyme, cooking for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Pour in dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the skillet, and simmer for 2 minutes to reduce slightly.
05 - Add pappardelle, vegetable broth, and a generous pinch of salt. Stir to combine, ensuring pasta is mostly submerged.
06 - Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until pasta reaches al dente texture and most liquid is absorbed, 10 to 12 minutes.
07 - Pour in heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir well and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until sauce thickens and coats the pasta. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
08 - Transfer to serving dishes immediately. Garnish with additional Parmesan cheese and fresh thyme sprigs.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything happens in one pot, which means less cleanup and more time enjoying your food instead of washing dishes.
  • The cream sauce clings to every ribbon of pasta in this deeply satisfying way that feels far more impressive than the effort it actually takes.
  • Fresh thyme turns earthy mushrooms into something almost luxurious, like you've somehow stumbled onto a restaurant secret.
02 -
  • Don't crowd the mushrooms when you first add them to the pan—I learned this the hard way by adding too much at once and watching them steam instead of brown, which completely changes the dish from golden to watery.
  • The pasta doesn't need to be pre-cooked; the residual heat in the pan finishes cooking it while the cream is being absorbed, so if you add already-cooked pasta, you'll end up with mush.
  • Taste the sauce before you serve it because salt levels matter more in creamy dishes than you'd think, and a pinch more can transform good into genuinely memorable.
03 -
  • A small splash of truffle oil stirred in at the very end transforms this from great to something that tastes like a special occasion, and it's worth keeping a small bottle around for exactly these moments.
  • If your cream sauce breaks or looks grainy, take the pan off the heat immediately, let it cool for thirty seconds, and whisk in a splash of cold broth—this always fixes it better than panicking and adding more cream.
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