Go Back

Mushroom Gruyere Pasta

Mushroom Gruyere pasta with a silky cream sauce and deeply golden mushrooms, tossed until the Gruyere melts into every bite. Rigatoni is coated with wine-garlic cream and finished with thyme and parsley for a rich, French-American main dish.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 910
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni or pappardelle
  • 1 lb rigatoni or pappardelle Use rigatoni or pappardelle for a sauce-catching shape.
Mushrooms
  • 1.5 lb mixed mushrooms Cremini, shiitake, and oyster mushrooms, sliced.
Aromatics
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 1 shallot shallot Minced.
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme Fresh thyme leaves.
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley Fresh parsley, chopped.
Sauce
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine Use dry white wine for deglazing.
  • 1 cup heavy cream For the silky base.
  • 0.5 cup chicken or vegetable broth Add for body and simmering.
  • 1.5 cup Gruyere, shredded Shred for easy melting.
  • 3 tbsp unsalted butter For sautéing mushrooms and building flavor.
  • 0.5 cup pasta water Reserved cooking water to loosen and bind the sauce.
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet

Method
 

Cook the pasta
  1. Cook the rigatoni or pappardelle in salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta water, then drain the pasta.
Brown the mushrooms
  1. Melt the unsalted butter in a large skillet over high heat. Add the sliced mixed mushrooms in an even layer and cook without stirring for 4-5 minutes, until deeply golden and browned.
  2. Stir the mushrooms and cook for 3 more minutes. Add the minced shallot, minced garlic, and fresh thyme, then cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and softened.
Make the cream sauce
  1. Deglaze the skillet with the dry white wine, scraping up browned bits. Cook until the liquid is reduced slightly, then add the heavy cream and broth and simmer for 5 minutes.
  2. Reduce the heat to low and stir in the shredded Gruyere until fully melted and smooth. Add the drained pasta and toss, adding reserved pasta water as needed until the sauce coats the pasta.
Finish and serve
  1. Season the pasta sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Top with fresh parsley and serve hot.

Notes

Pro tip: leave the mushrooms alone while they brown—stirring early prevents deep caramelization. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of pasta water or broth to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the cream can separate. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream and add the Gruyere off-heat to reduce curdling risk.