This creamy mushroom pasta with olives is quick, insanely delicious and will become a favourite. A luscious, creamy parmesan filled sauce flavoured with herbs, garlic and mushrooms.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta with olives
Hi! I am writing up this SUPER requested recipe that I posted on instagram! I should know better than to not have a recipe ready to go but sometimes I just post my dinner and don't think it through! This is a spin on my original creamy mushroom sauce recipe. I am olive obsessed and I had a jar sitting in my fridge when I went to make this sauce and I really think they go with anything.
It really is such a quick and delicious dinner that comes together really quickly, just take your time browning the mushrooms! Honestly what is better than a cream and parmesan sauce?! Want to try some other creamy sauces? Check out my creamy roast garlic and lemon pasta sauce or my creamy nduja pasta sauce.
Main ingredients for this creamy mushroom pasta
Mushrooms - Obviously! Fun fact (or not!) I am such a late adopter of mushrooms, I've really only started liking them in the last few years! I like using swiss brown mushrooms for this recipe.
Wine - I usually use a sauvignon blanc or a pinot gris but use whatever you want. It doesn't have to be anything fancy.
Herbs - Please use fresh! You can't replicate the same flavour with dried herbs. I love using a mixture of sage and thyme in this recipe.
Parmesan - It's best to use a high quality parmesan if you can as it adds a lot of flavour when you use it this way in a sauce. It needs to be really finely grated so it melts into the sauce easily. Ideally with a microplane.
Cream - double cream is best so the sauce thickens well.
Olives - I like to use Kalamata olives but honestly use any olives you personally love!
Tips for the best creamy mushroom sauce
- Let the mushrooms brown on their own! There is nothing worse than soggy wet mushrooms so I really take the time to get them golden. If that means doing them in a couple of batches or in a couple of pans so be it! You can't overcrowd them. When you put them in the pan, toss them in the oil and butter then leave them alone to brown, turning once when golden.
- Turn the heat down once you add the cream, you don't want it to be boiling.
- Add the parmesan in a few lots, letting it melt between each addition.
- Before you drain your pasta reserve a good cup of pasta water. Better still just transfer your pasta straight into the sauce with a spider tool then the water will just be left in the pot for you to use as you need.
Why pasta water is your best friend!
You'll hear me harp on about the magic that is pasta water in 99% of my recipes. It really is a key ingredient in every sauce I make. The starch left behind in the water acts as a thickening agent and helps sauces cling to the pasta. I couldn't make a sauce without it. I never EVER drain my pasta in a colander, I always transfer it directly to the sauce using a spider strainer. That way the pasta pot full of water is left there for you to ladle in as you need. if you have seen my reels on instagram you'll notice my sauces are SAUCY. Pasta soaks up liquid so quickly so I add enough pasta water to make it quite liquidy. By the time I serve into bowls and take to the table it hasn't dried up. You'll get to know what the right consistency is with some practice, you can't go wrong though I promise!
What pasta shape is best for this sauce?
I have used my homemade orecchiette because if you know me at all you'll know it is my favourite! If you want to make a slightly easier shape give my hand rolled gnocchi sardi a try. It will work with absolutely any shape though, dried or fresh.
Made this recipe and loved it?
I would love love LOVE if you could leave me a review down below and let me know what you thought! I love to hear any changes or adaptions you have made too. Also if you put a photo on instagram, please tag me so I can see, it makes my day!
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Creamy Mushroom Pasta with olives
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 2 people
Description
A luscious creamy mushroom pasta sauce with olives. Flavoured with garlic, herbs, white wine and lots of parmesan.
Ingredients
- Pasta of your choice, I do 150g fresh or 100g dried per person (big portions!)
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp butter
- 350g mushrooms, I use swiss brown, each one sliced into 3
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp fresh sage, finely chopped
- ½ cup white wine, I use sauv blanc or pinot gris
- ¾ cup cream
- 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice, plus the zest for serving
- 5og parmesan, very finely grated, ideally with a microplane
- ½ cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
- ½ cup (heaped) kalamata olives
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Get your pasta cooking in a pot of well salted water.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in a large fry pan over medium high heat.
- Add the mushrooms, toss them in the butter and oil then leave alone to brown 5 - 7 mins, turning once or twice.
- Turn the heat down slightly then add the garlic and herbs and cook for a minute or so but don't let the garlic brown. Season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the wine and let it bubble for 3 mins or until slightly reduced.
- Add the cream, giving it a good mix. You don't want it to boil, it should just be at a nice gentle simmer the whole time.
- Move the mushrooms to one side of the pan and add the parmesan to the cream in a few lots, mixing in between each addition to let it melt.
- Add the lemon juice and then follow with the parsley and mix altogether.
- Let it gently simmer for a few mins until it thickens slightly, you want it quite saucy as the pasta will thicken it up so don't let it bubble too long.
- Taste for seasoning, I go pretty hard with pepper but you do you!
- Add your cooked pasta straight in along withe the olives and let it gently bubble away for a minute or so.
- Add a splash of pasta water if you need to loosen the sauce then serve.
- Top with extra parmesan, lemon zest and lots of freshly cracked pepper.
Notes
- I give the olives a little rinse under cold water in a sieve to get rid of a little bit of the brine they are in. It can affect the taste of the sauce so good to rinse a bit off.
- I generally like using olives with stones in my cooking but in a dish like this I use pitted ones, it's a lot easier.
- I don't like putting amounts of salt and pepper to use, just use your intuition and taste as you go.
- It may seem like a lot of mushrooms when you put them in the pan but they shrink so don't leave any out!
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
Gretchen says
I made this for New Year’s day for a group of 8 people with dried gnocchi rigati and it was a big hit! For the recipe I went ahead and chopped the garlic even though it seems like you are supposed to throw them in whole with the mushrooms.
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Gretchen, so glad it was a hit! That was totally an oversight on my part, I meant to say the cloves should be finely chopped and have fixed it! Thanks for bringing it to my attention! 🙂
JM says
Use a good quality dried pasta and this recipe is a keeper!! I changed it just a bit, as you should, excellent even without parsley ?
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Thanks so much for making it!! 🙂
Magali says
this recipe looks delicious! I will prepare it tomorrow. thank you so much
★★★★★
Lori Michrina says
Loved loved loved this! I made it with my handmade orecchiette, which were perfect little sauce holders. I’m hoping to be able to add some morels into the mix this spring, but other than that, I wouldn’t change a thing! Perfection!
★★★★★
Helen says
Made this last night for a dinner party - needed to be vegetarian friendly - this was a huge hit and everyone loved it! I put the pan on the table so people could help themselves, it was gone very quickly. Had some crusty sourdough on hand to mop up the last of the sauce in the pan too!
★★★★★
Meg says
This recipe was sooo yum. Everyone went back for seconds. I used regular gnocchi but will try it again using a pasta. Adding to my bi-weekly meal rotation!
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Yay so glad everyone loved it! I'm definitely going to make it with gnocchi asap, you've got me craving!
Michelle says
Another sensational recipe!
I'm not typically a creamy mushroom type of person, but I absolutely loved this dish. The balance of the mellow mushroom with the smack of the olives was superb.
I made it with orechiette and loved that each little ear was hiding a surprise.
Also didn't have sage available so I used rosemary from the garden instead which was good along with fresh thyme but would love to make it again with sage.
Thank you Emilie?
★★★★★
Emilie Pullar says
Hi Michelle! Yay, so glad you enjoyed it!! Love the pop of the olives in this dish and orecchiette is my absolute fave 🙂