Portobello Mushroom Pappardelle
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This is a quick and easy vegetarian pasta recipe — mushroom pappardelle pasta in a savory sauce (ragu!) thick 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. The underside of the mushrooms, or the gills, should be tight, dry and light brown in color.
- Wipe the mushrooms gently with a towel if they seem dirty — don’t soak them in water or they’ll become soggy.
- 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.
Portobello Mushroom Pappardelle
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
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.Â
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 per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
Hey, I’m Karen
Creator of Familystyle Food
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.
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I really liked many aspects of this recipe, but the sauce was just slightly too spicy and too sweet for my taste. I would’ve preferred a bit more of a brown sauce and more savory than sweet. Next time I will adapt it because overall, I really enjoyed it.
Thanks for your comment Leslie. If you adapt the recipe to your taste, I suggest omitting the balsamic because that’s the sweetness you’re tasting. You can omit the crushed chili or use a smaller amount it you prefer less heat in the dish. Adding a teaspoon of soy sauce will give you a good savory note!
We loved this!
This is our go to meal! My family absolutely loves it! Easy to make and Oh so delicious! In fact, we had for dinner last night!
Thanks Michelle I’m so glad to hear that!
Nothing better than simple and delicious food. This recipe really showcases the flavor of the mushrooms. This was so easy to make and so flavorful! I added a bit more salt at the end and some cracked pepper.
This recipe was delicious. I used a mix of baby Bellas and white mushrooms and increased the spices a bit and pasta water to 1 cup because we like spicy and saucy!
Sounds perfect!
We loved this! (Yes we doubled the sauce.) Definitely will enjoy this again.
Very tasty, thanks! I used brown mushrooms instead of portobello as they didnt have it in the store that day. Deglazed it with wine as well. Finally a recipe for pappardelle that is not packed with heavy cream (and vegetarian)
One of the best meals I’ve ever made! Such wonderfully simple and flavorful ingredients that come together as a fine restaurant-quality dinner. Doubled the recipe and followed instructions exactly. It was so warm, hearty and flavorful, I couldn’t believe I’d cooked it. Definitely recommend fresh pasta if you can get your hands on it!
Second time making the recipe. Tonight made with parents for New Year’s Eve dinner. Delicious and perfect compliment to our steaks. Really well balanced flavors – it’s a keeper!
Just made it for NYE dinner-loved it! So quick and easy, and my husband was super impressed 😊
WE loved this and I am featuring it in my favorite recipes post on my blog with all possible credit given in every way I can think.
Oh wow! So happy to hear that. Thanks Lisa :))
Great recipe, as others suggested I used slightly less tomato paste but other than that I followed the recipe. It’s great, thank you!
Excellent and easy to make
Love it, super easy to make and had most ingredients on hand already! It was delicious with a lot of parm😋
AWESOME recipe. So easy to do and really tasty. According to my hubby it’s a definite do again!
So happy to know that – thanks Heather!
This is one of my favorite recipes ever! It is so simple and easy and so delicious. My husband and son love it as much as me. Everyone should make this!
My new favorite recipe. Deliciousness!
Made it for dinner tonight exactly as written and was delicious!! Wouldn’t change a thing! Even my fussy husband and 3 year old grandson loved it!!
Thank you!
That’s great Jacqueline! I’m so glad your family enjoyed it 🙂
Delicious and now one of my favourite recipes
I thought it was great! Easy, flavorful and easy to modify.