Creamy Wild Mushroom One-Pot Pasta

As we transition from winter to spring, this wild mushroom pasta dish has found a permanent place on my weekly meal plan. It satisfies my cravings for something decadent and comforting, while also fulfilling my need for veggies.

I used to make mushroom pasta the traditional way; that’s to say, I’d sauté mushrooms and add cream to the pan to create an earthy mushroom sauce, which I’d then spoon over drained linguine. But after exploring the magical world of one-pot pastas, in which the pasta and sauce cook together all in one pot, my pasta game (not to mention my post-meal cleanup and dishwashing game) has changed dramatically. Here, you’ll add the linguine and cooking liquids (in this case, chicken broth and heavy cream) directly to the pot with the sautéed mushrooms, then boil until the noodles are al dente and the liquid has thickened into a silky sauce.

I’ve become a big fan of cooking dry noodles in broth as opposed to water, as it adds extra flavor without any extra work. It’s especially impactful with one-pot pastas, because the liquid isn’t drained — rather, it forms the base sauce as the pasta cooks. Just remember that store-bought broth generally has more sodium than water, so be sure to season with salt at the very end of cooking rather than as you go.

Cooking the linguine in chicken stock obviously means this isn’t a vegetarian dish; if you’re looking for a meat-free rendition, you can use your favorite vegetable or mushroom broth. You can easily make mushroom broth by saving the liquid after rehydrating dried mushrooms, or making your own by cooking mushroom stems and trimmings in water, and straining out the solids.

If you can, opt for a mix of different types of mushrooms for this pasta, such as cremini, shiitake, oyster, hon shimeji, chanterelle or hen of the woods. Not only will the variety make it a very Instagram-worthy pasta dish, but it adds a huge amount of savory flavor.