Get a delicious and creamy mushroom pasta recipe without all the fat and calories. And it still has all the taste of the standard version!
Mushroom Pasta without Cream
Ahhh, creamy pasta. So comforting, so delicious, so warming. So . . . creamy. Do the words ‘creamy mushroom pasta’ make you think of a major calorie bomb filled with dairy, lots of butter, and endless grams of fat? They do when I think about them.
Creamy Sauce
Don’t worry, creaminess in sauces don’t have to be achieved through the use of cream and butter, alone.
Some do use cream (hello, Alfredo!), others use eggs (hello, Carbonara!). Both are delicious but often pack quite the calorie punch.
Making a Roux
Another great, and much lighter, option is a roux. The name sounds fancy and therefore people think it is difficult . . . yet it’s actually pretty simple!
A roux is just flour and some butter or other fat, cooked until a paste is formed, and then whisked together with liquid and simmered for a few minutes. And hey, presto, thick and creamy mushroom sauce without the cream!
This particular roux uses 1% milk so that you still get some dairy protein in addition to the protein that’s in pasta. It also lends a more authentic ‘dairy cream’ flavor to it, as well.
Combined with delicious cooked mushrooms, shallots, garlic, and sage and you have a wonderful sauce that tastes decadent and sinful whilst being under 400 per serving calories! So go ahead, enjoy this for dinner! Even if you have some picky eaters, they’re going to love this.
Ingredients
- 16 oz linguine, uncooked
- 1 8-ounce package white button mushrooms
- 1 8-ounce package Cremini mushrooms
- 1 8-ounce package portobello mushrooms
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups 1% milk
- 2 tablespoons light butter, divided
- 2 large shallots, minced
- 2 large cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons chopped sage
- 4 tablespoons flour
- Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Tell me this mushroom pasta isn’t creamy and delicious?
Get the printable recipe card below.
Creamy Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz uncooked linguine
- 8 oz white button mushrooms
- 8 oz Cremini mushrooms
- 8 oz portobello mushrooms
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 1/2 cups 1% milk
- 2 T light butter divided
- 2 shallots large, minced
- 2 garlic clove(s) large, minced
- 2 T sage chopped
- 4 T all-purpose flour
- 1 pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Mince shallots, garlic, and sage.
- Brush dirt off mushrooms with a paper towel. Remove stems and slice into thin slices.
- Heat a tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the mushrooms and them sit in the pan, without stirring, for about five minutes.
- Stir/flip browned mushrooms and let them cook on the other side – without stirring – for about four minutes.
- Add the shallots, garlic, and sage and cook over low heat until all ingredients are fragrant and soft.
- Add pasta to boiling water.
- Make a well in the pan and add the second tablespoon of butter. When melted, add the flour. Stir quickly until a paste is formed and then thoroughly stir through the mushroom mixture.
- Take a whisk and slowly pour the chicken broth and 1% milk, whisking quickly and constantly, until everything is mixed and lump-free.
- Cook over medium-low heat, continuing to whisk, until the mixture has thickened to a very heavy gravy consistency. Allow to simmer for five minutes over extremely low heat until pasta is ready.
- Drain the pasta. Stir the mushroom sauce in with the cooked pasta. Divide and serve.
Nutrition
If you like this delicious pasta entree, I’d love for you to check out these other awesome recipes: