Wild Mushroom Pappardelle

White bowl of wild mushroom pappardelle with plenty of fresh thyme and parmesan shavings sprinkled on top.

With the days getting colder and rainier, and with all the best autumn ingredients like squashes, mushrooms and kale being front and centre, all I want to make right now is make a big bowl of pasta like this Wild Mushroom Pappardelle with lots of herbs from the garden, buttery wild mushrooms and a good slug of white wine and cream (but not so much to overwhelm those beautiful mushrooms!) I love that this mushroom pasta looks fancy, but can be on the table in less than 30 minutes!

Close up of a griolle mushroom on a bowl of mushroom pasta.
Overhead image of a bowl of pappardelle pasta with wild mushrooms, fresh thyme and parmesan shavings.

Wild Mushrooms

If none of my local farm shops have any wild mushrooms I order Natoora mushrooms from Ocado. Whilst I’ve not ordered from them yet I’ve also recently discovered Fine Food Specialist who have a fantastic range of unusual fresh and dried mushrooms. Supermarkets also carry mixed boxes, but be sure they’re wild forest-style mushrooms, not padded out with Asian-style mushrooms which tend to be cheaper; they’re delicious, but they have a totally different vibe. Griolles (the beautiful, autumnal orange ones), Porcini, Chanterelles and Trompette de la Mort are good varieties to look out for.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use regular mushrooms instead of wild ones?

The first time I made this pasta I used simple penne and chestnut mushrooms from the fridge, and it was bloody delicious. Cheap and cheerful!

Can I make this wild mushroom pappardelle ahead? How should I store any leftovers?

Honestly, this is a recipe best made when you’re planning to eat it – it only takes half an hour, after all! Also, as this is a lightly-creamy, rather than super-creamy sauce it is best eaten when it is made too, I don’t recommend enjoying this as leftovers. Also, because cold mushrooms don’t really work…

Close up of a white bowl of pappardelle with wild mushrooms and fresh herbs.

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White bowl of wild mushroom pappardelle with plenty of fresh thyme and parmesan shavings sprinkled on top.

Easy Mushroom Pappardelle

  • Author: Rachel Phipps
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 25 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: Serves 2
  • Category: Dinner
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Diet: Vegetarian

Description

An easy, rich, weeknight-friendly mushroom pasta dish packed with lots of herbs, either made simple with chestnut mushrooms, or upgraded with a handful of seasonal wild mushrooms.


Ingredients

Scale
  • 200g pappardelle pasta 
  • sea salt
  • unsalted butter
  • handful wild mushrooms (optional, see note)
  • 1 banana shallot
  • large handful chestnut mushrooms
  • freshly ground black pepper
  • leaves of 34 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 34 sage leaves, finely chopped 
  • 1 garlic clove 
  • 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce 
  • 1/2 tsp thick good quality balsamic vinegar
  • generous splash white wine
  • 4 tbsp vegetable or chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp double cream
  • small handful flat leaf parsley, roughly chopped
  • parmesan shavings, for serving (use a vegetarian cheese if this matters to you!)

Instructions

  1. Cook the pasta in a pan of boiling salted water as per the packets instructions. 
  2. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Heat a knob of butter in a large frying pan set over a medium high heat. Add the wild mushrooms – tearing any larger ones into bite size pieces – and sautée for a few minutes with a good pinch of salt until just tender. Remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. 
  3. Peel and finely chop the shallot before adding it to the pan with another pinch of salt. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 5 minutes or so until the shallot is soft, and just starting to brown. 
  4. Peel and roughly chop the mushrooms before adding them to the pan with a little more salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Cook for a couple of minutes until they’re soft and just starting to colour before adding another knob of butter, the thyme, sage and the garlic – crushed – to the pan. Cook for a minute more until the garlic is aromatic.
  5. Add the Worcestershire sauce and the balsamic vinegar before adding a splash of wine and allow it to bubble away for a minute or so before adding the stock and the cream. Cook for another couple of minutes until the sauce has started to thicken. Season to taste with a little more salt and pepper, if needed.
  6. Drain the pasta and add it to the pan along with the cooked wild mushrooms and half the parsley. Stir the pasta into the sauce, still over the heat, until the sauce just clings to the pasta and the wild mushrooms are heated through.
  7. Serve shared between two warm bowls topped with the remaining parsley, a little more black pepper and a generous amount of parmesan shavings. 

Notes

If you don’t want to use wild mushrooms, just double the amount of chestnut mushrooms in step 4.

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