Mushroom Sauce for Spaghetti
Transform your pasta nights with my irresistible spaghetti mushroom sauce! This easy recipe combines earthy mushrooms with savory flavors to create an effortlessly delicious mushroom sauce for spaghetti that's bursting with deeply satisfying, hearty Italian flavors. Best of all, you'll only need 30 minutes and 9 ingredients to make it!
Equipment
- 1 Large Saucepan - for cooking mushroom sauce
- 1 Large Pot - OPTIONAL; for cooking spaghetti
Ingredients
- 10-12 ounces Dried Spaghetti
- 3 1/2 TBS Extra Virgin Olive Oil - DIVIDED
- 1- pound Fresh Mushrooms – cleaned, de-stemmed, and DIVIDED; ½ thinly sliced & ½ finely diced (SEE NOTES)
- 2-3 cloves Garlic – finely chopped
- 1 ½ TBS Fresh Thyme Leaves
- ¾ tsp Italian Seasoning
- 1 TBS Tomato Paste
- ½ Cup Red Wine
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can Fire Roasted Tomatoes (SEE NOTES)
- 1 ½ Cups Prepared Tomato Pasta Sauce (SEE NOTES)
- ½ Cup Grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano Cheese - DIVIDED, plus more for serving (or vegan alternative)
- ¼ Cup Fresh Basil - chopped & DIVIDED
- to taste Kosher Salt & Ground Black Pepper
Instructions
- OPTIONAL - Cook Spaghetti Pasta: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, season the water generously with salt. Add the spaghetti noodles and cook until 1-minute shy of al dente according to package instructions, about 8-9 minutes.Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of cooking liquid. Set both the spaghetti and pasta water aside.(TIP: Start boiling water now. While the water is coming to a boil, continue on with the recipe - sautéing the mushrooms. Then, add the spaghetti and start actually cooking the pasta when you start cooking the finely diced mushrooms - step 3)
- Sauté the Sliced Mushrooms: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Once 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 Spaghetti Mushroom Sauce: Reduce the heat to medium and add the 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. Then, 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 the Pan: Add the wine to the pan, using the edge of a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Let simmer until the wine is mostly evaporated.
- Add Tomatoes and Simmer Mushroom Sauce: Add the tomatoes (and their juices) and the tomato sauce to the pot. Let the sauce come to a rapid simmer; then, immediately reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. sStir in ¼ cup of the cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. Let the mushroom sauce simmer for 10-12 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened or thickened to your liking. Stir in HALF of the fresh basil.
- Add the Spaghetti and Sauteed Mushrooms to the Sauce. Add the cooked pasta and reserved sautéed sliced mushrooms to the pan. Use tongs or two spoons and toss the ingredients for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce coats the spaghetti. If sauce is too thick, add a splash or two of reserved cooking water until the desired consistency is achieved. (Note: I typically add anywhere from 1/4 to 1/2 cup of pasta water.)Taste the mushroom spaghetti and adjust the dish for seasoning with salt and pepper.
- Serve Mushroom Sauce Spaghetti: Transfer spaghetti in mushroom sauce to serving bowls and garnish the top with the remaining grated cheese and remaining fresh basil. Enjoy immediately!
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.
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Need to Scale the Recipe? Hover your mouse over the number of servings in the recipe card. You'll see a sliding scale pop up, you can use that to scale the recipe up or down as needed.
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Got questions? I've got answers! If you ever run into an issue, have a question, or need any clarification - please feel free to drop them in the comments section. I'm happy to help when I can!
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and the nutrition facts are an estimate based upon 6 servings. Exact information will depend upon the brands of ingredients and precise measurements used.
Nutrition
Calories: 335kcal Carbohydrates: 43g Protein: 13g Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 3g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 6mg Sodium: 453mg Potassium: 609mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 5g Vitamin A: 512IU Vitamin C: 10mg Calcium: 137mg Iron: 2mg