This easy mushroom spaghetti sauce is hearty and robust in flavor with minimal effort! This recipe is made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry plus fresh, deeply flavorful mushrooms! This tomato sauce is so flavorful and easy to prepare its sure to become a family dinner favorite!
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Cook pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Season water generously with salt. Add the pasta and until 1-minute shy of al dente, 8-9 minutes, or according to package instructions. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. (Tip: Start boiling water now. Then, start cooking the pasta when you start cooking the finely diced mushrooms in step 3)
Sauté the sliced mushrooms: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook, UNDISTURBED, for 4 minutes. Stir. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for an additional 3-5 minutes or until mushrooms are golden browned and tender. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper. Remove the mushrooms to a plate and set aside.
Start mushroom sauce: Reduce the heat to medium and add remaining 1 ½ tablespoons of oil to the pan. Add the diced mushrooms. Cook, UNDISTURBED for 2 minutes. Stir and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, thyme and Italian seasoning. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until caramelized, about 1-2 minutes.
Deglaze: Add the wine to deglaze the pan, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Simmer until the wine is mostly evaporated.
Simmer: Add the tomatoes (and their juices) and the tomato sauce. Bring sauce to a rapid simmer. Reduce the heat to a simmer and stir in ¼ cup of the cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer for 8-10 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Stir in half of the basil.
Add the pasta & reserved mushrooms to the sauce. Toss for 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thick and coats the spaghetti. If sauce is too thick, add a splash or two of reserved cooking water. Taste and adjust pasta for seasoning with salt and pepper.
Serve: Transfer mushroom spaghetti to serving bowls. Garnish with remaining cheese and remaining fresh basil. Enjoy!
Notes
Mushroom varieties: You can use your favorite variety of fresh mushrooms in this sauce. Please see the post above for detailed information on the best mushroom varieties to use, .
Mushrooms and Tomatoes: For a traditional tomato sauce, finely dice ALL the mushrooms and skip step 2 of the recipe. Use a can of crushed fire-roasted tomatoes. For a rustic-style sauce, follow the instructions using half sliced and half finely diced mushrooms. You can use diced tomatoes for a chunky, rustic sauce or crushed tomatoes for a less chunky, but still rustic-style sauce.
Pasta Sauce: Use your favorite high-quality jarred pasta sauce. You can use any flavor variety you love!
Adjusting Taste: Make sure you use high-quality ingredients in this sauce! Using lower quality ingredients can result in a sauce that’s too sweet or too acidic. However, you can easily adjust this sauce if needed! Please see the above post for detailed instructions.
Storage: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Alternatively, the sauce can be frozen for up to 4-6 months.
Nutritional information is an approximation based upon 6 servings, and does not include the pasta. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.