This creamy sausage and mushroom pasta brings together two ingredients that were made for each other. Golden toasted mushrooms are combined with crisp sausage meat in a rich, glossy parmesan cream sauce. A splash of white wine, fresh thyme and a squeeze of lemon keep everything balanced and bright, turning simple ingredients into a pasta that feels effortlessly impressive.
Hi! Sometimes I even surprise myself when testing recipes with how delicious something can be. If you love my Creamy Sausage Pasta or Creamy Mushroom Pasta, this recipe brings those two flavor worlds together in one perfectly balanced dish. They’re both wonderful on their own, but this combination really is something special.
It’s rich and deeply savory, but the lemon and herbs keep everything lifted and zingy. It’s easy enough for a weeknight yet equally worthy of serving at a dinner party to impress friends and family. I hope this one becomes a regular in your kitchen.
Ingredient notes
Mushrooms - Any mushrooms work well here. Button, cremini, swiss brown or oyster mushrooms are all great options, and a mix adds extra depth of flavor.
Sausages - Pork and fennel sausages are my favorite, but Italian sausages, chicken sausages or any well-seasoned sausage will work. Choose sausages you enjoy eating on their own as they flavor the entire sauce.
Garlic - Fresh cloves are always best.
Thyme - Fresh thyme works so perfectly with mushrooms, substitute for rosemary or use a combination of both.
White wine - I use a sauvignon blanc or pinot gris. If you prefer not to cook with wine, substitute chicken broth and add a little extra lemon juice at the end. The alcohol does get cooked off in the cooking process.
Cream - Use a full fat heavy or whipping cream as they create the most stable base. It can always be thinned down with some extra pasta water.
Lemon - Fresh lemon juice balances this rich dish perfectly. I like to top the finished plates with some zest too.
Parsley - Italian parsley adds freshness and color right at the end, it's definitely optional.
How to make Sausage and Mushroom Pasta
For the full ingredient list and method, see the recipe card below. This is just a visual reference.
1. Toast the mushrooms in a large skillet until golden. Set aside on a plate.
2. In the same pan, brown the sausage meat for 3–4 minutes, then add the garlic and thyme and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Pour in the white wine and gently simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced.
4. Add the mushrooms back into the pan, then pour in the cream and stir to combine.
5. Push the sausage and mushrooms to one side. Add the parmesan cheese in three separate additions, stirring and letting each melt before adding the next.
6. Add the cooked pasta with about ¼ cup of pasta water and let it gently bubble for 2–3 minutes to thicken. Add the parsley just before serving.
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Expert tips
- Undercook your pasta slightly. Boil the pasta a minute less from package instructions so it can bubble away in the sauce at the end. If you’re unsure about timing or salting your water properly, I have a full guide to cooking pasta perfectly here.
- Let the mushrooms brown properly. Try not to move the mushrooms around too much at the start of cooking. Leaving them undisturbed allows them to become golden and toasty rather than steaming.
- Choose your sausage texture. I like to squeeze the meat out of casings then roll into tiny meatballs. Alternatively like in my creamy sausage pasta you can just break the meat up into a crumbly texture in pan. Both work great!
- Keep the sauce looser than you think. The sauce should look slightly loose in the pan. Creamy sauces thicken quickly as they cool and will become perfectly glossy once plated.
Common questions
Yes. Substitute the wine with chicken broth. Wine adds acidity as well as flavor, so add an extra squeeze of lemon juice at the end to keep the sauce balanced.
Anything will work! Pork and fennel sausages are my favorite, but Italian sausages, chicken sausages or any sausage you love will work. Choose sausages you enjoy eating on their own as they flavor the entire sauce.
Creamy sauces continue to thicken as they cool. If the sauce looks slightly loose in the pan, that’s perfect! If it becomes too thick, add a small splash of pasta water over low heat to loosen it. If it's too thin for your liking, let it bubble gently for another minute until glossy and reduced.
Some other dishes to try
If you loved this creamy sausage and mushroom pasta then head to my recipe section for so many more pasta dishes to try. Here are some suggestions for next time.
Did you make this recipe?
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Recipe
Creamy Sausage and Mushroom Pasta
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Ingredients
- 200 grams dried pasta or 300 grams fresh
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ tablespoon butter
- 300 grams mushrooms sliced (see notes)
- 220 grams sausages (about three)
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves roughly chopped
- ½ cup white wine (sauvignon blanc, pinot gris or similar)
- ¾ cup cream
- 50 grams parmesan cheese very finely grated
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice (plus optional zest to serve)
- ½ cup Italian parsley finely chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of well salted water to the boil and cook the pasta, reserving a cup of pasta water before draining. I tend to undercook dried pasta by a minute so it can finish cooking in the sauce.
- Squeeze the sausage meat out of the casings. I like to roll it into tiny meatballs but you can also break it up in the pan for more of a ground meat texture.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil and butter. Toss the mushrooms in then leave pretty undisturbed for 5-7 minutes, turning once until golden. Set aside on a plate.
- Add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan then add the sausage meat and cook for 3-4 minutes until golden.
- Turn the heat down to medium and add the garlic and thyme, cooking for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the wine and simmer for 3-4 minutes until slightly reduced, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan for extra flavor.
- Add the mushrooms back into the pan with the cream, bringing to a very gentle simmer.
- Push the sausage and mushrooms to one side of the pan then add the Parmesan cheese in three separate lots, letting each addition melt before adding the next. Keep the heat low and stir continuously so the cheese melts gently into the sauce.
- Add the cooked pasta with a small splash of pasta water (a bit less than ¼ cup), the black pepper and lemon juice and toss well. Let it gently bubble away for 2-3 minutes over a low heat to thicken. It will look loose in the pan but creamy sauces dry up a lot off the heat.
- Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed.
- Toss the parsley through right before serving and finish with lemon zest, extra parmesan and extra cracked black pepper if you like.
Video
Notes
Hi, I'm Emilie
I've spent years testing pasta doughs, sauces, and weeknight favorites so you don't have to. Everything on The Burnt Butter Table is designed to be simple, comforting, and unbelievably delicious.
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