Creamy pasta with brown oyster mushrooms (and zucchini noodles)
This garlicky version of the traditional Alfredo sauce is simmered gently with oyster mushrooms. The mushrooms layer a deep, earthy flavor to the sauce that makes this creamy pasta dish taste heavenly. Make extra sauce because it freezes well.
Chop the ingredients. Peel and cut the garlic and shallots into a small dice. Cut the butter into 1 inch/2.5 cm pats. Grate the Parmigiano-Reggiano using the fine-tooth grater. Roughly chop the oyster mushrooms.
Heat a heavy-bottomed sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, chopped garlic, and shallots. Fry the aromatics until they are golden.
Add the heavy whipping cream to the aromatics. Cook the cream on medium-high until small bubbles begin to form. Turn the heat down to medium. Avoid bringing the cream to a roiling boil as we don't want the cream to burn.
Add the chopped brown oyster mushrooms to the cream. Stir the mushrooms and break apart any skin that may have formed over the cream's surface. Turn the heat down to a simmer.
Once the mushrooms have softened, add the pats of butter.
Allow the sauce to simmer until it is reduced to 3/4 of its original volume.
Stir the sauce for even cooking. Poke the mushrooms to check whether they are softening. Continue simmering the sauce until it reaches 1/2 its original volume.
While waiting for the pasta sauce to reduce, boil water to cook the pasta. Cook the pasta based on the package's instructions until the noodles are al dente. Avoid overcooking the pasta because it will cook further when it is added to the pasta sauce.Retain the pasta water when the pasta is cooked. You can remove the pasta using tongs instead of draining and pouring the water down the sink. Place the cooked pasta into a mixing bowl.
Once you've removed the pasta, cook the zucchini noodles (if you're added the spiralized noodles) for 30-60 seconds in the hot pasta water. Move the zucchini noodles into the same mixing bowl as the pasta.Keep the pasta water.
Set aside the pasta and "zoodles" while you finish simmering the pasta sauce. If you're worried about the noodles overcooking from residual heat and becoming mushy, rinse them under cold water to stop them from further cooking.
Check the pasta sauce is reduced to half of its original volume. Taste a piece of mushroom. Be careful about burning your mouth as the mushroom will be hot. If the mushroom is still firm and chewy, continue cooking until the mushroom is tender. The sauce should be a creamy off-white color.If you plan to add mix-ins, now is the perfect time to add cooked chicken or steamed broccoli.
Once the mushrooms are tender, add the grated Parmigiano-Reggiano. Turn off the heat. Stir to mix the cheese into the sauce. The residual heat should melt the cheese. This sauce is ready to add to your noodles.
Create your ideal ratio of pasta to zucchini noodles (I like a 1:1 ratio). Add a ladle of the creamy sauce over the top of your noodles.
Mix to combine the noodles and the sauce. The sauce should be very thick so you can add a tablespoon of the pasta water to thin it out. Add a spoonful of the pasta water until the sauce reaches your preferred consistency. Toss everything to combine evenly.
Your creamy pasta with mushrooms is ready to serve. Enjoy!