Quick and Easy Cremini Mushroom Pasta

Ingredients

• ½ (16 ounce) package linguine pasta
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, or more as needed
• 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
• ½ cup diced onion
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour, or more as needed
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¾ cup heavy cream
• 2 1/2 tablespoons spreadable cheese with cracked pepper (such as Boursin)
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg, or to taste

Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the linguine until it’s just tender but still has a bit of bite, about 11 minutes. Drain the pasta, but be sure to save about a cup of the cooking water—you might need it to loosen the sauce later.

Step 2

While the pasta cooks, melt some butter in a pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, onion, and garlic, and sauté until everything is soft and fragrant, which should take around 5 minutes.

Step 3

Turn the heat up slightly and sprinkle in the flour, stirring constantly to avoid lumps. Season with salt and pepper as you go. Once it’s smooth, pour in the cream, then stir in the cheese and a pinch of nutmeg. Lower the heat to medium-low and let the sauce simmer gently, stirring every few minutes to keep it from sticking or clumping. If it gets too thick, don’t hesitate to add a little more butter and turn the heat down.

Step 4

Finally, toss the cooked pasta into the sauce. Add a few splashes of the reserved pasta water as needed to get the sauce to your favorite consistency. Give everything a good mix, and you’re ready to serve.