Ingredients

Pasta

  • 400 g fettuccine
  • Salt, for pasta water

Mushroom sauce

  • 300–350 g mushrooms, sliced
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp butter
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 small shallot or ½ small onion, finely diced
  • 1 cup (240 ml) heavy cream
  • ¾ cup (60–75 g) freshly grated Parmesan
  • ½ tsp Italian seasoning
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • ¼ tsp salt, or to taste
  • ½ cup reserved pasta water
  • 2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
  • 1–2 tsp lemon juice, optional

Optional

  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • Pinch of red pepper flakes
  • ½ tsp chicken or vegetable bouillon

Instructions

1. Cook the fettuccine

Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil.

Salt it generously—it should taste noticeably salty.

Add the fettuccine and cook until al dente, according to the package instructions.

Before draining, reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water.

Drain the pasta. Don’t rinse it.

2. Brown the mushrooms

Heat the olive oil and 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add the sliced mushrooms in a fairly even layer.

Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Let them develop a deep golden-brown color before stirring too much. This is what gives the finished dish its rich mushroom flavor.

Season lightly with salt and black pepper.

Remove about ⅓ of the mushrooms and set them aside for topping.

3. Make the garlic base

Lower the heat to medium.

Add the remaining butter.

Add the diced shallot and cook for 2–3 minutes until softened.

Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Don’t let the garlic become dark brown.

Optional: Add ¼ cup white wine and simmer for 1–2 minutes, scraping up the browned bits from the pan.

4. Make the cream sauce

Pour in the heavy cream.

Add:

  • Italian seasoning
  • black pepper
  • remaining salt
  • red pepper flakes, if using

Bring to a gentle simmer, not a hard boil.

Cook for 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cream begins to thicken.

5. Add Parmesan

Turn the heat to low.

Gradually add the freshly grated Parmesan, stirring continuously.

The cheese should melt into the cream and create a smooth, velvety sauce.

If the sauce becomes too thick, add some reserved pasta water.

6. Add the pasta

Add the cooked fettuccine directly to the skillet.

Toss thoroughly for 1–2 minutes.

Add pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce coats every strand beautifully.

The final consistency should be silky and creamy, not thick like cheese paste.

Stir in most of the parsley.

Taste and adjust the seasoning.

A tiny squeeze of lemon juice is optional but helps cut through the richness.

🍽️ Plate it like the photo

Twirl the fettuccine into a tall mound using tongs or a carving fork.

Arrange the reserved golden-brown mushrooms over the top.

Finish with:

  • freshly grated Parmesan
  • chopped fresh parsley
  • freshly cracked black pepper
  • a small drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil

The key to getting the pictured result

Don’t boil the cream sauce after adding Parmesan. Keep the heat low and use pasta water to emulsify everything. Also, brown the mushrooms quite deeply—pale mushrooms will make the dish taste much flatter.

For an especially luxurious version, add 1 extra tablespoon of butter at the very end and toss it through the pasta just before serving