With the return of cold weather, my pasta nights transition from fresh veggie-based sauces to creamy ones full of cozy flavors. Earthy mushrooms and warm, mildly sweet nutmeg make this pasta dish a hug on a plate. The easy dinner recipe is done in under 30 minutes, so it’s the perfect winter weeknight meal!
You probably have everything you need to make a simple cream sauce – it’s just butter, flour, and milk! If you can master making a roux (or rue, if you prefer) – and you can, believe me – you’ve learned the base for a myriad of sauces, soups and strews, and gravies.
I chose shitake mushrooms here, but you can use whatever kind you like. Nutty porcini would be a great swap if you like to indulge in the finer things (and if your grocer carries the fresh version!), though button mushrooms are equally delicious in this simple recipe. As for the basil, go fresh. And the nutmeg? Well, educate yourself on some nutmeg history. It’s fascinating.
One time Gordon Ramsay taught me how to chop fresh herbs without totally brutalizing them. Okay, so maybe I just watched one of his videos. You should, too, if you want more herb flavors in your recipe than left on your cutting board.
I like to cook the mushrooms in the sauce instead of sauteing them first. It leaves some bite in them and they don’t get shriveled and slimy. Try it, you’ll thank me.
Here comes the airplane!
Nutmeg and Basil Mushroom Cream Sauce
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Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
Total Time: 25-30 minutes
Yield: 2 servings
Feeding more people? No problem – just double, triple, or quadruple the amounts below!
Ingredients:
6 oz fettucini (linguini or spaghetti work, too)
4 tbsp butter
4 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 cups milk (preferably whole, but 2% works, too)
1 – 2 bunches fresh basil, chopped
Approx 5 ounces mushrooms of your choice, sliced thin
1 tsp nutmeg (you can add more to taste)
Salt to taste (approximately 1/2 – 1 tsp)
1. Cook pasta according to package directions. In the meantime, heat a large pan over medium heat – when hot, add butter. When melted, add flour and stir until combined.
2. Add milk slowly, stirring constantly. Allow to simmer for 5-10 minutes until slightly thickened.
3. Add mushrooms and basil. Simmer an additional 3-5 minutes until mushrooms are cooked to desired doneness. Toss cooked pasta in sauce. Serve immediately.
Looks delicious!!
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It is! Hope you’ll try it out 🙂 Thank you for stopping by!
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Wow this cream sauce looks amazingly delicious, love the ingredients you used! 🙂
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Thanks!
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I add a whole nutmeg to my bolognese and can’t help but see it as underrated. Great idea pairing with cream and basil, I will try this combo shortly.
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Yes!! I put nutmeg in my bolognese, too!! Hope you enjoy this one 🙂
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Thanks for the follow, Susan! This dish looks awesome – I actually bought nutmeg for the first time the other day and have the rest of the ingredients so will definitely give it a try at some point.
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Reblogged this on terry1954 and commented:
yummy
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Yummy, reblogged, thanks for sharing with me
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YUM!!! Looks delicious……love any creamy pasta dish…..
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Looks yuuuuum! I am going to try and make a vegan version of it. thanks for sharing
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I’d love to see what you come up with 🙂
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Yes, I’ll definitely let you know 🙂
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Oh! That looks delicious!
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Looks yummy! Do you suggest any alternative to the mushrooms for a vegetarian who doesn’t eat them?
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I would recommend eggplant or tofu in place of mushrooms for this recipe. If you go the eggplant route, I suggest baking or sauteing them until tender before slicing and adding them to the sauce. If you use tofu, you could marinate it in some vegetable broth beforehand to let it take on a bit more flavor, though it will also soak up the flavors of the dish the way mushrooms do. I would love to know if you try either of these suggestions and how it turns out! 🙂
Thanks for stopping by!
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What a gorgeous recipe! I love your blog name!
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Thank you 🙂
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ALL your recipes look so yummy! I’m excited to follow you! I love your blog title by the way, it’s so creative!
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Thank you so much, that’s so sweet of you 🙂 you just made my night!
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I love pasta with white sauces, and adding the mushrooms just hits the spot.
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Looks so yummy…:)
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Oh, Wow! My stomach just grumbled when I read this! I will have to try it, alone…my kids are too picky to appreciate how wonderful mushrooms and creamy pasta are!
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More for you!! 🙂
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Looks very tempting yumm
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Can’t wait to cook it.
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