An easy 15 minute recipe for lazy nights when you crave some pasta goodness which comes through best in spaghetti! This Mushroom Spaghetti Aglio Olio is a really quick and comforting meal involving just a handful of ingredients.
This mushroom spaghetti aglio olio is my favorite lazy day dinner. It's ideal for the evenings when I don't want to do do too much chopping or cooking. We always have spaghetti in the kitchen cupboard, apart from which you need just a few other ingredients like mushrooms, good quality extra virgin olive oil, some parsley (dried or fresh), chilli flakes - and 15 minutes to make a delicious meal.
Quick Walk Through: Mushroom Spaghetti Aglio Olio
Ingredients for Mushroom Pasta
- Mushrooms: I'm using two varieties - button mushrooms and oyster mushrooms. Take off the hardy stem before you use them. You can also use other varieties such as cremini, porcini etc.
- Olive Oil: This is the most important ingredient in this recipe as it has no sauce. I would recommend using really good quality extra virgin olive oil for the best flavor and texture.
- Garlic: Chopped garlic that's simmered slowly in olive oil to impart all of that flavour
- Chilli Flakes: A must have for extra flavour and a hit of heat
- Parmesan: Only the best kind you can find
- Salt: Salt for cooking the pasta and a little for the sauce
- Parsley: For freshness and flavour right at the end
Top Tips To Make The Best Mushroom Aglio Olio
- When you first add garlic to the oil, be careful to not overcook it as it will make the whole dish acrid instead of beautifully fragrant like it should be.
- Do not skimp on the amount of olive you use as that is what will help emulsify the pasta with water and create that perfect slippery pasta texture of aglio olio.
- Make sure to add a generous amount of salt when cooking the pasta. According to experts, pasta water should taste like sea water.
Once you realise just how simple yet delicious and filling it is to make this pasta, it will surely make a regular appearance on your dinner menu. We usually just eat this with a slice of toasted bread for a quick and simple meal.
Watch How to Make Mushroom Spaghetti Aglio Olio Video
15 minutes Mushroom Spaghetti Aglio Olio
Ingredients
- 250 grams Spaghetti
- ⅓ cup Olive oil divided
- 200 grams Button Mushrooms cleaned and cut in half
- 100 grams Oyster Mushrooms
- 7-8 cloves Garlic finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes
- 1 ½ teaspoons chopped Parsley
- 2 - 3 tablespoons Parmesan grated
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Boil spaghetti in salted water as per package instructions until al dente. Reserve a cup of pasta water before you drain the pasta.
- While the spaghetti is boiling, heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a pan and add mushrooms. Saute on medium high heat for a few minutes till golden brown on all sides.
- In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and garlic. On a low heat, cook the garlic for a few minutes till a light golden brown. Add chilli flakes and the reserved pasta water, half teaspoon salt and let this cook and reduce till the sauce emulsifies (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add the cooked spaghetti, mushrooms, parsley and toss well till the sauce coats the pasta. Top with grated parmesan and serve
Video
Notes
- Always add the pasta to boiling water. Never add pasta to warm or room temperature water. Time it and cook it till al dente.
- Reserve some of the pasta water as the starch present in this will help thicken the sauce.
- Cook mushroom on medium high heat instead of low heat. Slow cooking tends to make the mushroom limp and leave out water. Do not overcook.
- Time it so that the spaghetti gets cooked just about the same time the sautéed mushroom aglio olio is ready. This way the spaghetti won't harden and the mushrooms won't leave out water.
- Feel free to swap the mushrooms for something else like bacon (see bacon aglio olio) or shrimp (see shrimp aglio olio)
Nutrition
This post was first published on September 13, 2016 and updated on August 4, 2021 with a new recipe video and some changes to the recipe to improve it
Susan Gray says
i had Aglio Olio with mushrooms and spaghetti at a restaurant and finally found your recipe. it is a good thing because i had to go to the restaurant to have it. So delicious and sooooooooooo easy.
One thing I might ask........would you please use the standard US weights and measures in your recipes also.
Thanks so much
Richa says
Thank you so much Susan. I'll update the measurements soon to include those
Mafalda Rocha says
Hello. You sure thats a teaspoon of butter? 5 grams of butter? That looks more like 1 tablespoon of butter. Can you clarify please? Thanks in advance
Richa says
Yea you really need only a teaspoon of butter but sometimes I like to add extra 😉
Anita says
We made this dish today for dinner, it turned out absolutely delicious! Served it with a mixed green salad and garlic bread. My dayghter added some wilted spinach to hers - just as delicious!!! This recipe is a keeper! Thank you for sharing 😊
Richa says
A salad and garlic bread would make this a complate meal! So glad you liked it Anita!
Jan says
I have a ton of good quality dried mushrooms, could I use those instead of fresh mushrooms?
Richa says
Absolutely! Just make sure to hydrate the mushrooms sufficiently before using them
Devika says
Just my kind of food!!! Slightly silly question coming up..unsure what is dried parsley..any alternative to it?
Richa says
Hey Devika, dried parsley is easily available at most stores these days. It's basically a herb which has been dried. If you are from India, you can try a brand called Keya. Unfortunately, there is no alternative to it. You can also use fresh Parsley instead 🙂
Siba says
Can use canned mushrooms?
richagupta says
Yes that should work!
Fiona says
I have a naive question: where do you get parmesan in Blore?
richagupta says
Not naive at all Fiona 🙂 All speciality gourmet stores carry it. Try Godrej Natures Basket or Foodhall, though I will admit, it's a bit expensive, but I think it's a once in a while indulgence.
OutiKoo says
Just delicious!
Thanks for the recipe!
richagupta says
Thank you 🙂
Bev says
I made the 15 minute spaghetti mushroom aglio olio. wow was it tasty. I made it for meatless Monday but I did add pesto, onions,green pepper and fresh grape tomatoes because I had them and thought it would add something. Even hubby said it was good.
richagupta says
Soo glad you and your husband enjoyed it!
Richa Gupta says
Thank you take it easy chef 🙂
The take it easy chef says
Looks delicious!!
Richa Gupta says
Hahah of course cheese Aditi, as much as you want. Thanks for the recco, will check out Shark Tank!
Richa Gupta says
Thanks Sujata!
aditigoyal says
also, watch Shark Tank - i don't know if its currently on netflix but find it and watch it. And, Unreal!
aditigoyal says
Just what I needed - just with tons of more cheese. PS: Why don't we live in the same city, I could just show up and get everything I ever crave. PPS: Denver is a star! PPPS: I love you!
Sujata Shukla says
Sounds both easy and delicious!