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Mushroom Gruyere Pasta

Mushroom Gruyère pasta with a silky cream sauce and deeply golden sautéed mushrooms coats rigatoni until the Gruyère melts into every bite. Quick deglazing with white wine plus a splash of pasta water creates a glossy, clingy sauce.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: French-American
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Pasta
  • 1 lb rigatoni or pappardelle Use 1 lb rigatoni or pappardelle.
Mushrooms
  • 1.5 lb mixed mushrooms (cremini, shiitake, oyster) sliced Slice mushrooms so they brown quickly.
Aromatics
  • 4 garlic minced Minced for even distribution.
  • 1 shallot minced Finely minced.
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme Leaves only if possible.
  • 1 tbsp fresh parsley For finishing.
Cream sauce
  • 1.5 tbsp unsalted butter For sautéing mushrooms and building the sauce.
  • 0.5 cup dry white wine Used to deglaze the pan.
  • 1 cup heavy cream Creates the silky sauce.
  • 0.5 cup chicken or vegetable broth Helps loosen sauce into a silky coating.
  • 1.5 cup Gruyere shredded Shred for faster melting.
  • 0.5 cup pasta water Reserve 1 cup while cooking; use as needed to loosen sauce.
  • salt and pepper to taste Season at the end.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook pasta
  1. Boil salted water and cook the rigatoni or pappardelle until al dente, then reserve 1 cup pasta water and drain the pasta.
Brown mushrooms
  1. Melt the unsalted butter in a large skillet and cook the mixed mushrooms over high heat without stirring for 4-5 minutes, until deeply golden (leave them undisturbed for browning).
  2. Stir and continue cooking for 3 more minutes, then add the minced shallot, minced garlic, and fresh thyme and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant.
Make the cream sauce
  1. Deglaze the pan with the dry white wine, scraping up any browned bits, then stir in the heavy cream and broth and simmer for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.
  2. Reduce heat to low and stir in the shredded Gruyere until fully melted, then toss in the cooked pasta and add pasta water as needed to make the sauce silky and clingy.
Finish and serve
  1. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then top with fresh parsley before serving.

Notes

Pro tip: keep the mushrooms mostly untouched during the first browning so they develop deep color, then use reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce into a glossy coating. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth or cream to restore silkiness. Freezing is not recommended because cream sauces can split. For a lighter option, use half-and-half instead of heavy cream, keeping the simmer short to prevent thinning.