Love is the way I feel about this plate full of creamy, cheesy, saucy, perfectly cooked pasta and roasted mushrooms topped with plenty of cracked pepper and fresh herbs.

"The recipe is wonderful! The phrase is head over heels." - Cin

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

Just to be perfectly clear here, when I say I love this plate of pasta I am not speaking metaphorically. I love and adore it with each and every silky, creamy, earthy mushroom bite.

And I promise that all of you all you fellow pasta and mushroom lovers will also fall head over heals for this dish. I know because I am you.

The recipe is one of my many favorite ways to use mushroom ragu - a hearty, saucy, roasted mushroom sauce that can be spooned over pasta, potatoes, polenta, or eggs.

Use mushroom ragu to make the most incredible mushroom pizza and white mushroom lasagna. Or, add it to soups or stews, spread over bread or toast, tuck it into homemade ravioli or flatbread, and spread over sandwiches. It is truly one of the most versatile recipes I know.

The mushroom ragu is also incredibly flavorful, so all you need to do to transform it into a creamy pasta sauce is add some cream and parmesan cheese. ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ <- (There really aren't enough hearts in the world to describe how I feel about this recipe.)

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

Recipe: Creamy Mushroom Pasta

For step by step photos that show how to make this pasta, please see the original recipe: Creamy mushroom pasta

• 1 pound dried fettuccini noodles (see note below)
• 1 ½ cups mushroom ragu
• ½ cup heavy cream or half and half
• 5 ounces (about 1 ¼ cup) grated parmesan cheese
• 1 cup reserved pasta water
• Fresh ground pepper
• Fresh herbs (I used Italian parsley)

1. Cook the pasta in heavily salted boiling water (the water should taste salty) until it's slightly underdone. Drain it over a bowl to catch the pasta water. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water and rinse the noodles with cold water in the sink to keep them from continuing to cook.
2. Add the mushroom ragu, cream or half and half, ½ cup of the reserved pasta water, and the grated parmesan to a skillet. Set it over medium heat and cook, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is simmering.
3. Add the pasta to the skillet, tossing it around in the sauce to coat. Cook until noodles are al dente, adding as much more of the reserved pasta cooking liquid as you like to achieve a saucy consistency.
4. Pile the pasta onto plates and top with black pepper and fresh herbs.

Recipe notes:

• In the photos you see here, I used this homemade fresh pasta recipe. I think the consistency of homemade pasta is better when the noodles have been allowed to dry, so after cutting the noodles with a pasta maker, I hung them on a pasta drying rack (see photo in the post above).
• Mushroom ragù is a mushroom lovers dream. It's rich and flavorful and versatile enough to use in hundreds of ways. Preparing it will take about an hour, so plan ahead and either give yourself enough time to make it before tossing it into this creamy pasta or make it in advance. Mushroom ragù will keep well in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to a week. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. If the mushroom ragu is already prepared, this dish will be on the table in about 20 minutes.
• Pasta cooking tip: Add just enough water to the pot to cook the pasta - just enough to cover the noodles and give them some room to move. This will ensure that plenty of starch from the pasta makes it into the reserved pasta water. The starch in pasta water helps thicken the sauce.

Additions and substitutions

• Instead of mushroom ragu: If you're in a rush, you can use roasted mushrooms instead of mushroom ragu. Simply chop or slice some mushrooms and spread them on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roast at about 400 degrees F until the mushrooms are golden brown.
• Instead of parmesan cheese: Any hard cheese will work in place of parmesan cheese. Good options include pecarino, Manchego, Grana Padano, or aged gouda.
• Make it vegan: Use a pasta that's made without eggs. Instead of cream, use cashew cream (soak ½ cup raw cashews in ½ cup boiling water for about 30 minutes. Drain the cashews then add them to a high speed blender along with ½ cup fresh water and puree until creamy.) Omit the parmesan or use a vegan cheese in it's place. Or if you'd rather, here's how to make a delicious vegan substitute for parmesan cheese.
• Additions: Add pretty much any kind of roasted, grilled, or sautéed veggies to this dish. Other great additions include sun dried tomatoes, diced olives, chopped marinated artichoke hearts, or marinated roasted bell peppers. For an even heartier meal, toss in some cooked shredded chicken, crispy bacon, chopped ham, or cooked sausage.

Photo byRebecca Blackwell/ alittleandalot.com

For more of my recipes, visit alittleandalot.com and ofbatteranddough.com.

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