A simple and elegant weeknight pasta meal that comes together in 15 minutes and uses just 5 ingredients! Portobello mushrooms and tagliatelle are surrounded by rich olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs to make this easy pasta dish full of flavour.
When I was travelling in Italy for two weeks, I ate pasta every single day. On the second last day of the trip, my husband and I sat down for dinner at a restaurant in Rome, just around the corner from our hotel and I exclaimed that I would not be ordering pasta. The kind waiter placed the menu in front of us and my eyes were instantly drawn to a mushroom pasta dish. I was ordering pasta.
Something that I had learned through our travels and subsequent culinary adventures, was that the Italians make seriously good, but simple food. The ingredients lists are small, and pizza toppings compared to our western norms are non-existent. But the ingredients they do use are good quality and carry strong flavours.
Of the mushroom pasta dish that I ordered that night in Rome, I don’t really recall too much. I cannot tell you the name of the restaurant, I cannot even remember the name of the dish. All I can tell you was the dish highlighted the flavour of the beautiful tagliatelle pasta and the mushrooms, and was dressed with olive oil, garlic and a hint of chilli. Simple but wonderful.
This seems to be a variation on a traditional roman pasta dish of spaghetti aglio e olio which translates to spaghetti with garlic and oil.
Since then, I have been making my own version at home. It is what I make when I want pasta but don’t want a rich, heavy meaty sauce. It is also what I make when I am being conscious of budget as this is a great inexpensive meal.
You really can use any pasta you want so the only thing you are probably going to have to buy is the mushrooms. I do however always recommend a good quality olive oil. Yes we are cooking the mushrooms in the olive oil, but we also use it to dress the cooked pasta, so for this you are going to want a full bodied, robust tasting oil for the best flavour.
Good quality olive oil can be expensive, but I always look and see what is on special each time I am at the supermarket so that I never pay full price.
The olive oil is however only one part to finishing off this sauce. We are also using a little of the reserved water that you cooked the pasta in. This starchy water actually emulsifies when mixed in with the oil and it ensures the pasta is coated with all the flavours and is not at all dry.
This mushroom tagliatelle is perfect for feeding guests as well. Simply add the pot of pasta to the centre of the table with a side salad and some bread and let everyone help themselves.
For even more flavour in this pasta, I sometimes add chopped bacon if I have some in the fridge and it is amazing.
If you are wanting a delicious weeknight meal that comes together quickly but still feels like you have taken some care, then this is the perfect recipe for you. This has quickly become a regular at my house when I need something comforting but still quick and easy, and I am sure it will be the same at yours.
If you do make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and rating below! And tag any of your creations on Instagram with #eightforestlane as I would love to see.
Mushroom Tagliatelle with Olive Oil and Garlic
Ingredients
- 250 grams egg tagliatelle pasta
- 5 portobello mushrooms
- 6-8 cloves garlic crushed
- ½ teaspoon chili flakes
- handful fresh parsley chopped
- ½ cup reserved pasta water
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil and cook pasta according to packet instructions. Reserve ½ cup of the cooking water.
- While the pasta is cooking, heat two tablespoons of olive oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Slice the mushrooms and add them to the oil, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon until the mushrooms cook down. They should be soft and brown and reduced in size by about a third.
- Add garlic, chilli flakes and continue cooking. Drain pasta and add the cooked pasta and fresh parsley to the mushroom mixture. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over pasta and toss to combine. Add the reserved pasta water, a little at a time until the pasta is covered with a thin coating of the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve garnished with more fresh parsley.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is provided as a guide only and is calculated using automated online tools, therefore we cannot guarantee the accuracy. We encourage you to make your own calculations based on the actual ingredients used in your recipe.
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Robyn Jones says
What a wonderful light pasta dish. I completely agree with you about olive oil and also buy the good stuff when it’s on offer!
Sally says
It makes such a difference!
Alexandra @ It's Not Complicated Recipes says
This brings back such wonderful memories of Italy for me also!
Delicious, Sally! 🙂
Sally says
Glad to hear that Alexandra!
Sylvie says
Such a delicious looking dish, pasta are probably favourite food to make for dinner so this recipe is seriously calling my name right now!
Sally says
Thanks Sylive. Pasta is one of my favourite easy dinners too!