This mushroom pesto pasta is bursting with flavor! With its garlicky pesto, nutty parmesan cheese, and buttery sautéed mushrooms, it is the perfect summer dish.
If you love pasta and need a fast but delicious meal at your table, then this mushroom pesto pasta is for you. Perfectly cooked artisan pasta, coated in a herbaceous, fresh basil pesto and caramelized mushrooms. I finish this pasta off with a generous portion of freshly grated parmesan cheese.
Looking for more delicious noodle recipes, make sure to try my Creamy Mascarpone Tomato Sauce and Easy Garlic Chili Oil Noodles.
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Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Homemade basil pesto- Yes, you can easily buy pre-made pesto, but nothing compares to the homemade version. This 6 ingredient pesto is full of garlicky goodness and bright fresh flavors that you just can't get in the store-bought stuff.
- Simple to make- This pasta is ready in just 30 minutes. Who says delicious homemade food can't be easy?
- Sautéed mushrooms- A mixture of mushrooms cooked in butter, olive oil, garlic and fresh thyme. How can you not drool just thinking about it?
- Perfect for company- If you need an easy, filling meal to serve a crowd, this pasta just might be what you're looking for.
Ingredient Notes
- Basil- Also called Sweet Basil or Sweet Genovese, is the most common type of basil you will find in the grocery store. Look for vibrant green leaves, free of brown spots.
- Garlic- Use fresh garlic for the best flavor. Do not use jarred garlic.
- Walnuts- Although pesto is traditionally made with pine nuts, walnuts are a lot more affordable. I toast the walnuts in a dry skillet to bring out the natural oils and to make them crunchier, which adds a great texture to the pesto.
- Oil- I use extra virgin olive oil to combine this pesto.
- Parmesan cheese- Most pestos call for Parmesan cheese. You can also use Romano or a mixture of the two.
- Mushrooms- I use crimini, shiitake, maitaki, and oyster mushrooms. You can also use white button mushrooms or whatever you have on hand.
- Thyme- I add fresh thyme leaves to the mushrooms for a boost of flavor.
- White wine- Mushroom and wine go really well together. This is why I add just a couple tablespoons to help elevate the flavor in the mushrooms.
- Butter- I use unsalted butter, along with olive oil to cook the mushrooms. It adds great flavor and also helps them caramelize.
- Pasta- You can use any variety of pasta you like. For this recipe, I used Gigli pasta from Trader Joe's.
Step By Step Instructions
STEP 1: Make the pesto. In a food processor, add basil leaves, toasted walnuts, garlic cloves, and parmesan cheese. Pulse several times until finely chopped. Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
With the food processor still running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it is completely combined. Give it another scrape and then pulse again until mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
STEP 2: Cook the mushrooms. Heat the butter and oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add the mushrooms and cook for about 4-5 minutes, without stirring.
Next, add the garlic and thyme leaves. Stir and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are golden brown. Lastly, add the white wine. Cook until the wine has evaporated.
STEP 3: Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and then drain the remaining water.
STEP 4: Toss the pasta. Add the pesto to the pasta, along with the pasta water to help loosen it up. Then, add the sautéed mushrooms and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
STEP 5: Serve pasta. Spoon the pasta into serving dish and top with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves for garnish.
Expert Tips
To clean your mushrooms, use a damp paper towel. Do not wash your mushrooms as this will cause them to soak up the water and prevent them from browning.
To get a nice caramelization on the mushrooms, make sure the pan is hot. Do not overcrowd the pan. The mushrooms should be in a single layer. Once you add the mushrooms to the pan, do not stir them for at least 4-5 minutes. This helps them brown.
Lastly, season the mushrooms with salt once they are finished cooking. If you add the salt at the beginning, this will draw the moisture out of the mushrooms and you will end up steaming them.
To prevent the basil from separating, make sure to slowly drizzle the oil in while the food processor is running. This will help emulsify the pesto and blend everything nicely together.
FAQ
Pesto is served best with gemelli, fusilli, orecchiette, and farfalle. These types of pastas trap all the delicious pesto sauce inside their twisty, twirly shapes.
Pesto is considered a raw sauce. Heat can degrade the pesto and cause it to lose its beautiful green color. The basil can also take on a bitter flavor when it is heated.
You can use any variety you like. But a mixture of at least 2-3 will really enhance the flavor and texture of this dish. White button mushrooms, cremini, shiitake, oyster mushrooms, maitake, King trumpet, and beech mushrooms are all great options.
Storing and Reheating
Store any leftover mushroom pesto pasta inside an airtight container. Refrigerate for up to 5 days.
Reheating
You can reheat the pasta inside the microwave or on the stovetop. You may need to drizzle in a little olive oil or water if the pasta looks dry.
More Recipes To Try
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📖 Recipe
Mushroom Pesto Pasta
Ingredients
Walnut Pesto
- 2 cups Basil leaves only
- 1 cup Parsley, Italian leaves only
- 3 cloves Garlic
- ¼ cup Walnuts toasted (optional)
- ½ cup Parmesan cheese grated or shredded
- ⅔ cup Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Garlic Mushrooms
- 1 lb Mushrooms variety
- 4 tablespoon Unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon Olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Thyme, fresh chopped
- 4 cloves Garlic minced
- 2 tablespoon White wine
- Salt and pepper to taste
Pasta
- 12 oz Dried pasta Gemelli, fusilli, orecchiette, or type of twisted pasta will work.
- ½ cup Leftover pasta water
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Parmesan cheese grated on top
- Basil leaves for garnish
- Red pepper flakes garnish (optional)
Instructions
Walnut Pesto
- In a food processor, add basil leaves, toasted walnuts, garlic cloves, and parmesan cheese. Pulse several times until finely chopped. Then, scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- With the food processor still running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil until it is completely combined. Give it another scrape and then pulse again until mixture is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
Garlic Mushrooms
- Heat the butter and oil in a large pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Then, add the mushrooms and cook for about 4-5 minutes, without stirring.
- Next, add the garlic and thyme leaves. Stir and cook until the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms are golden brown. Lastly, add the white wine. Cook until the wine has evaporated.
Pasta
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water and then drain the remaining water.
- Add the pesto to the pasta, along with the pasta water to help loosen it up. Then, add the sautéed mushrooms and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper.
- Spoon the pasta into serving dish and top with grated parmesan cheese and fresh basil leaves for garnish.
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