This light garlic mushroom pasta is elegant, delicious, and made entirely without cream! Just perfect for date night or a simple weeknight dinner.

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If you’ve been on Skinny Spatula before, you may already know I’m all about simple pasta dishes that are quick and easy to make with simple ingredients. Bonus points if they’re on the lighter side, too!

This pasta with garlic and mushrooms ticks all the boxes — it’s super simple yet elegant enough to serve on date night or at a gathering with friends. The garlic sauce is made without any cream, and it’s absolutely delicious.

You also need just a handful of ingredients to make it. I love to use a mix of mushrooms here for extra flavor, but any kind would do.

And if you love mushrooms as much as I do, try my Creamy Hungarian Mushroom Soup or this delicious Panda Express Mushroom Chicken next!

Why you’ll love this garlic mushroom pasta

It's loaded with rich, earthy flavors from the mushrooms and fresh herbs.
The sauce is made without cream, so it doesn’t weigh down the dish.
It’s a simple yet comforting dish that feels quite fancy without any fuss.

What you’ll need

Pasta — Pappardelle are ideal for this garlic mushroom pasta as they’re like wide ribbons that capture the sauce perfectly. However, you can also use spaghetti, fettuccine or linguine.

Mushrooms — Any kind of mushroom works great in this pasta dish. Keep it simple and budget-friendly with chestnut mushrooms, or go for a mix with wild mushrooms, chanterelles, shiitake or porcini if you’re feeling a bit fancy.

Butter — Sautéing the mushrooms in a bit of unsalted butter instead of oil sets up an excellent creamy base.

Aromatics — A mix of fresh garlic and fresh herbs such as rosemary and oregano infuses the mushroom sauce with loads of flavor. If you don’t have fresh herbs on hand, use half a teaspoon of dried herbs instead or simply an Italian seasoning mix.

White wine — Use a dry white wine that you’d enjoy drinking. Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay or Sauvignon Blanc are all great choices.

If you prefer to cook without alcohol, simply use the same amount of broth to deglaze the pan.

Parmesan — As always, freshly grated Parmesan is always best!

Pro tip

Avoid soaking mushrooms — they’re like sponges and will absorb water, so you won’t be able to get them golden. Instead, wipe off any dirt with a damp paper towel.

How to make garlic mushroom pasta

This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. The full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card at the end of this post.

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil, cook the pappardelle until it’s perfectly al dente, and save 2 cups of that pasta water for later.

In a large pan, melt the butter and sauté the onions until they’re softened, then toss in the mushrooms and cook until they turn golden brown.

garlic mushroom pasta making instructions

Add the garlic, rosemary, and oregano, cooking just briefly before deglazing with white wine.

Add the pasta to the mushroom mixture, using the reserved water as needed to create a silky sauce. Finish with grated parmesan and black pepper, then serve warm.

Recipe tips and notes for the best garlic and mushroom pasta

Give the mushrooms time to brown – resist the urge to stir too much; let them sit and sizzle to develop that gorgeous, deep golden color.
Save a good amount of pasta water; you’ll want that starchy goodness to make the sauce super creamy and help it cling to every bit of pasta.
Stir in the parmesan off the heat; this keeps it from clumping and gives you a smooth, glossy finish.

Leftovers and storage

Pop any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge, and they’ll stay good for up to 3 days.
Reheat it gently in a skillet on low heat; you can keep some of the reserved pasta water in a small container in the fridge to loosen the sauce when reheating.
Store in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months; thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat as above.

More easy pasta recipes

If you’ve tried this garlic mushroom pasta recipe, please rate it and leave a comment below! I’d love to hear how it turned out.

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