This is a spectacular way to showcase tasty cremini mushrooms – in a simple and delicious pasta with mushrooms and thyme sauce! This recipe shows you how easy it is to make a tasty pasta dish, the real Italian way, with just a few basic and fresh ingredients. The sauce it simple: there’s tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and dry white wine, which is flavoured with sautéed shallots and garlic, some chili flakes and thyme. Sounds simple right? It is. The mushrooms bring a deep, savoury, almost meaty quality, the tomato purée adds a boost of umami richness, and the thyme lifts everything with its fragrant warmth. It’s unfussy, comforting, and absolutely full of flavour.
Simple Everyday Ingredients for This Pasta with Mushrooms and Thyme Sauce
This mushroom pasta is all about easy, everyday ingredients – the kind you can pick up anywhere and turn into something delicious in no time.
- Olive oil: Go for a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil. It’s worth it, and you really can taste the difference.
- Aromatics: Shallots bring a gentle sweetness, softer than onions, and pair beautifully with garlic, sea salt, tomato purée, balsamic vinegar, black pepper and a pinch of chilli flakes. A splash of white wine adds depth – Riesling is a little fancy, but it truly tastes the best here.
- Fresh thyme: The game changer. It lifts the whole dish and brings that unmistakeable Mediterranean vibe.
- Brown mushrooms: Brown (cremini) mushrooms are firmer and more flavourful than white ones, and they hold their shape better when cooked. That’s why they’re my go-to.
- Parmesan: Freshly grated, always. It makes all the difference when finishing the dish.
- Pasta: Tagliatelle is a natural fit here, but wholegrain ribbon pasta is terrific too. Choose whatever shape you love.
Choose Mushrooms With Real Flavour
Of course, you can use everyday white button mushrooms here, but they’re actually the mildest of the bunch. I tend to save those for salads. For this pasta, cremini mushrooms (the brown button mushrooms) are a much better choice. They’re deeper in flavour and hold their texture beautifully.
If you want to add even more savoury depth, throw in a few shiitake mushrooms for that pure umami hit. And if you can find portobello mushrooms, go for it – they’re wonderfully rich and absolutely delicious.
The most important thing is choosing mushrooms that are dry and firm with closed caps. Closed caps mean the mushrooms are nice and fresh. If the caps have started to open slightly, they’re still perfectly usable; they’ll just have a stronger, more pronounced flavour. I personally prefer the more delicate taste of younger mushrooms.
And one last thing: never wash mushrooms under water. They soak it up like sponges, which dulls their flavour and ruins their texture. A quick brush or wipe is all you need to keep that lovely, subtle mushroom taste intact.
How to Make This Easy Mushroom Pasta
This pasta recipe couldn’t be easier to make. Here’s the quick rundown:
- Sauté the aromatics and mushrooms: Cook the shallots and garlic in hot olive oil, then add the mushrooms and sauté until tender.
- Build the sauce: Stir in the tomato paste, vinegar, thyme and chilli flakes. Keep everything moving in the pan. Add the white wine and let it simmer until nearly reduced.
- Cook the pasta: Boil in well-salted water until al dente. Before draining, scoop out a little of the starchy cooking water as you’ll need it to thin the sauce.
- Bring it all together: Add the pasta water to the mushroom pan, toss in the pasta, and mix until everything is glossy and well coated. Finish with plenty of freshly grated Parmesan.
You’ll find the exact ingredients and measurements in the printable recipe card below.
Pasta with mushrooms and thyme sauce – simple, fast, comfort food!
So unless you are following a low-carb diet – which admittedly, as a late eater, I do this in the evening – this makes a terrific meal that is quick and easy to prepare. Perfect for midweek. All in all, you only need 30 minutes cooking time to get this on the table, which is great when you are hungry…or “hangry”.
If you’re in the mood for more Italian-style pasta dishes, here are a few favourites worth trying:
- Tagliatelle al Ragù (classic veal Bolognese)
- Spaghetti Bolognese (a classic family recipe)
- Spaghetti alla Puttanesca (original Italian recipe)
- Spaghetti Carbonara (made the classic way)
- Pasta con Salsiccia with a creamy tomato sauce (restaurant-worthy)
Tagliatelle Pasta with Mushrooms and Thyme Sauce
A tasty way to use mushrooms in a meal. This quick and easy pasta recipe is perfect for vegetarians and adaptable for vegans. Combined with ribbons of pasta, it makes a very satisfying meal and one you can make on the fly.
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Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 shallots, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- 500 g cremini mushrooms, quartered or cut into 2,5cm pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 250 g dried pasta (I like Tagliatelle or whole grain spelt ribbons)
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (good quality)
- 1/3 cup dry white wine (60 ml)
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese, to garnish (optional)
Method
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In a large deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic, plus a pinch of salt and cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened, but not browned (2-3 minutes).
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Add the mushrooms to the pan and cook until they get a little color (about 5 minutes), then stir and add 1/2 teaspoon sea salt. Continue cooking until the mushrooms become tender.
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Add the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, thyme leaves and red chili flakes to the mushrooms. Cook for another 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the white wine and cook for a 2-3 more minutes, until reduced.
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Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta according to package instructions, until al dente, reserving 1/2 cup (125 ml) pasta water, before draining.
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Add a little of the pasta water to the mushroom mixture and stir over medium heat. Add the pasta to the pan and using tongs, toss gently to coat with the sauce, adding more of the pasta water, if needed. Taste and adjust seasoning, if desired.
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Garnish with grated parmesan cheese (if using) and serve immediately.
Notes
- The mushrooms make this dish quite filling, so unless you are a big eater, feel free to reduce the amount of pasta to 200g.
Since mushrooms soak up water, so they should be brushed clean and not washed. - I use a large deep non-stick skillet for this recipe. If using a heavy-bottomed skillet, the mushrooms will brown quicker, so best cooked on medium heat.
- Make it vegan: Use a vegan wine for the sauce (or replace it with 2 tablespoons margarine for extra richness), skip the parmesan and garnish it with micro greens or chopped parsley for some extra vitamins.
For a relaxing atmosphere in the kitchen I recommend my personal Elle Republic: Chilled Out Kitchen Tunes Playlist on Spotify.
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