Pappardelle Pasta with Portobello Mushroom Ragu

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This is a quick and easy vegetarian pasta recipe — mushroom pappardelle in a sauce that’s loaded with chunky portobello mushrooms and rosemary. The meaty-tasting portobello mushroom sauce combined with ribbons of al dente cooked pasta noodles make this a very satisfying plate, and you can make it on the fly!

I would describe the sauce as inspired by a traditional ragu or Italian meat sauce, only it doesn’t use any meat at all.

Portobello mushrooms with pasta

Portobello mushrooms have abundant earthy, woodsy flavors. I love the way they match up with the piney, aromatic fresh rosemary, garlic cloves and red pepper. The caps are big and meaty, which means portobellos are great for stuffing, as well as roasting with garlic and herbs.

And with pasta, a thick mushroom ragu is a best friend with pappardelle — the flat, wide strands coil and curl easily around a fork, catching all the juices and chunky bits of sauce. Yum!

I used to work in a produce market in high school, I still remember learning that portobello mushrooms (or portabellas) are simply the adult versions of cremini mushrooms. It seemed pretty interesting! They’re cultivated a bit longer, until they’re 3-4 inches in diameter.

How to prep portobello mushrooms:

• Choose firm mushrooms with unbroken caps.
• Wipe the mushrooms gently with a towel if they seem dirty — don’t soak them in water or they’ll become soggy.
• The underside of the mushrooms, or the gills, should be tight, dry and light brown in color.
• Yes, you can eat the gills of portobello mushrooms. But if they look very dark in color and moist (verging on slimy) you can feel free to remove them or they might make the sauce murky.
• If the gills are moist and/or turning black, scoop them out with a spoon and discard before slicing and cooking over medium-high heat.

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Pappardelle Pasta with Rosemary Portobello Mushroom Sauce

Karen Tedesco

Enjoy this hearty, autumnal pappardelle pasta with fresh rosemary and portobello mushrooms in warm bowls, with a glass of red wine on the side 🙂

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4.81 from 843 community reviews

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 30 minutes mins

Course Pasta

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
• ▢ 2 medium shallots, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced (about 2 ounces each)
• ▢ Kosher salt
• ▢ 3 (350 g) portobello mushroom caps (10 -12 ounces), sliced into 1-inch pieces
• ▢ 8 ounces (225 g) pappardelle pasta, fresh or dried
• ▢ 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
• ▢ 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves
• ▢ ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 g) tomato paste
• ▢ 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
• ▢ 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter
• ▢ 1 chunk (50 g) Parmigiano Reggiano or Parmesan cheese

US Customary – Metric

Instructions 

• Put the oil, shallots and a pinch of salt in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are softened, but not browned.
• Add the mushrooms to the pan. Cook the mushrooms for a few minutes until they take on some color, then stir and add ½ teaspoon salt. Continue cooking until the mushrooms become tender and their liquid evaporates.
• Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and add 2 tablespoons kosher salt. Cook the pasta until al dente, according to the package directions. Scoop out and reserve ¾ cup of the pasta water, then drain the pasta.
• Add the garlic, rosemary, red pepper, tomato paste, vinegar and butter to the mushrooms. Add ½ cup of the pasta water and stir over medium heat until the mixture becomes saucy. Add the pasta to the pan and toss gently with tongs to coat with the sauce, adding more water if it seems too dry. Taste for seasoning.
• Shave curls of Parmigiano cheese over the pasta with a vegetable peeler and serve. 

Karen’s Notes and Tips

• Any leftover pasta and sauce will keep up to 3 days in the refrigerator.
• The sauce coats up to 8 ounces of pasta. If you’d enjoy larger servings or are cooking one pound of pasta, add one more shallot and 1-2 additional portobellos. Increase the sauce by doubling the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and butter. Add up to 1 cup of the pasta water.

Nutrition

Calories: 394kcal Carbohydrates: 47g Protein: 10g Fat: 19g Sodium: 92mg Fiber: 4g Sugar: 5g

Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.

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Hey, I’m Karen

Creator of Familystyle Food

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I’m a food obsessed super-taster and professionally trained cook ALL about creating elevated dinners with everyday ingredients. Find simplified recipes made from scratch and enjoy incredibly tasty food! Read more about me here.