This quick everyday pasta dish features a deliciously creamy mushroom sauce and some crispy spiced chickpeas. An easy family-friendly vegetarian meal everyone loves!
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For those busy days of the week, we all need a quick, easy recipe, ready in no time with just a handful of ingredients. With no surprise, pasta usually comes on top of the list and makes for a great comforting weeknight dinner. The other good news? You can get creative around pasta!
The pasta recipe I suggest today comes with a classic creamy mushroom sauce with white wine, topped with crispy spiced chickpeas. It’s packed with comforting flavors, is very nourishing, and slightly addictive too!
Ingredients for creamy mushroom pasta + alternatives:
- Pasta: Use any pasta you like. I prefer fettuccine or penne for this kind of recipe but really this is just a matter of personal taste so if you have a box of spaghetti or any other pasta in your pantry, just go for it!
- Mushrooms: You can use either fresh or canned mushrooms for this recipe. I chose fresh cremini mushrooms but any other variety would do (chanterelles, shiitake, oyster, porcini…).
- Shallots + garlic: I love the subtle taste of shallots. If you don’t have any at hand, replace with 1/2 red onion, or simply go with garlic; you will use shallots next time.
- Heavy cream: If you live in the US, you might want to use heavy whipping cream. But note that the recipe also works perfectly with creme fraîche for instance. To make it vegan, you can use soy milk instead.
- White wine: The use of white wine brings some delicate and fruity notes to your creamy mushroom sauce. If you don’t want to use wine, substitute with vegetable broth: that will provide the texture without the alcohol.
- Chickpeas: If you use canned chickpeas, make sure you rinse, drain and dry them well before you sauté them. This guarantees their crispy texture. I like to season them with paprika and a hint of chili powder but the seasoning is entirely up to you. Be creative!
How to make a perfectly creamy mushroom sauce?
The key to a creamy mushroom sauce is to let the sauce ingredients simmer at medium-low heat until it thickens and coats the back of the spoon. Remember that the cream thickens even more when chilled, and you might want to add a little bit of water to it when you warm it up again.
Also, there’s a secret ingredient: the pasta water. The idea is simple: The pasta releases some of its starch as it cooks, and that salty, starchy water makes a great thickener for sauces. So before you drain your pasta, scoop out a few cups of the water you used for cooking and add some to the mushroom sauce as needed. Easy, right?
Make ahead suggestions:
You can prepare the dish in minutes and have it ready for dinner straight away, or you can prepare it in advance to spare you some time and/or to pack lunch boxes!
First of all, the creamy mushroom sauce can be prepared up to 2 days in advance and stored in a jar placed in the refrigerator. When it’s time for dinner during the week, simply warm up the sauce in a saucepan or in the microwave. Meanwhile, cook your pasta for a few minutes (go for fresh pasta, it’s even quicker and more flavorful) and serve with the sauce.
For a lunch box, proceed as explained above for the mushroom sauce. Cook pasta separately and distribute in several boxes, then pour the sauce on top. When at the office, warm it up in the microwave, give a good stir, and be ready to make your colleagues jealous of your homemade meal while they eat their bland salad bought at the grocery store nearby.
If you want to add the chickpeas to your mushroom pasta, I recommend you prepare them the same day if you want to keep their crispiness. If you don’t mind soft chickpeas however, you can sauté them a few days in advance, store in an airtight container and warm them up in the microwave (just a few seconds are enough) before serving.
More vegetarian pasta recipes:
- Pasta with Vegan Lentil Bolognese
- Spaghetti with Chanterelles and Cognac Sauce
- Mushroom Pasta with Walnut Pesto Sauce
- Pappardelles with Sautéed Spring Vegetables
- Creamy Butternut Squash Lasagna
If you like mushrooms, try also:
- Mushroom Ragu with Polenta
- Vegetarian Portobello Mushroom Burger
- Easy Mushroom Soup
- Creamy Risotto with Shiitake Mushrooms and Chestnuts
Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Chickpeas
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Savory
- Cuisine: Plant-based
This quick everyday pasta dish features a deliciously creamy mushroom sauce and some crispy spiced chickpeas. An easy family-friendly vegetarian meal everyone loves!
Email me this recipe
We’ll send it straight to your inbox, along with weekly food inspiration!
Ingredients
- 8.8 ounces (250g) pasta of your choice: tagliatelle, fettuccine, penne
- 1 medium shallot or 2 small, minced
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 cups (400g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup (250 ml) white wine
- 2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 15-ounces can (286g) chickpeas, drained, rinsed and dried
- 1 Tablespoon ground paprika
- 1 pinch chili powder
- Grated parmesan cheese, for serving (optional)
- Parsley, chopped (optional)
Instructions
For the creamy mushroom sauce:
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat and once hot, melt in the shallots until translucent, about one minute. Throw in mushrooms and sauté for a couple of minutes. Add garlic, sauté for 30 more seconds, season with salt and pepper.
- Increase the heat, add white wine and cook for a few minutes to allow the about half of the alcohol from the wine to evaporate.
- Pour in the heavy cream, bring to a boil, then turn the heat on low and simmer for a couple of minutes, until the sauce thickens (it should coat the back of a spoon).
For the chickpeas:
- In a separate skillet, add drained and dried chickpeas and cook for 2 additional minutes, shaking the pan regularly. Stir in the paprika, the chili powder and a pinch of salt. Set aside.
For the pasta:
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package instructions. Keep aside 1 or 2 cups (250-500 ml) of the cooking water and then drain the pasta.
- Add warm pasta to the creamy mushroom sauce, stir and re-heat slightly if needed. If you want the sauce a little bit creamier, add some of the pasta cooking water.
- Serve immediately and top with spiced chickpeas on top as well as some grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe?
Lastly, if you make this Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Chickpeas, be sure to leave a comment and give this recipe a rating, letting me know how you liked it. And of course, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Thank you and enjoy!
