Creamy chestnut mushroom, leek & thyme tagliatelle
Velvety, garlicky tagliatelle tossed with golden chestnut mushrooms, leek and lemon — quick, comforting midweek supper.
This is the sort of mushroom pasta that makes midweek feel like a treat. Earthy chestnut mushrooms get properly browned, then swim in a silky cream sauce brightened with lemon and thyme. It comes together fast — about 35 minutes from chopping board to plate — and feeds four comfortably. Perfect with a simple green salad or a hunk of crusty bread for mopping up the sauce.
Ingredients
- 400 g dried tagliatelle
- 30 ml olive oil
- 25 g butter
- 500 g chestnut mushrooms — trimmed and sliced
- 1 brown onion — finely chopped
- 1 leek — white and pale-green part only, sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — finely chopped
- 15 ml plain flour
- 250 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 150 ml double cream
- 15 ml fresh thyme — leaves only
- 1 lemon — zest and 1–2 tbsp juice
- 50 g vegetarian hard cheese — grated
- salt — to taste
- black pepper — freshly ground, to taste
Equipment
- large frying pan
- large saucepan
- colander
- grater
Instructions
Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and salt generously. Cook the dried tagliatelle according to packet instructions minus 1 minute so it finishes cooking in the sauce. Reserve about 100 ml of the cooking water, then drain.
While the pasta cooks, prepare the veg: slice the chestnut mushrooms, trim and slice the leek, and finely chop the brown onion and garlic cloves.
Heat the olive oil and butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat on the hob. Add the chestnut mushrooms in a single layer and fry without moving them for 3–4 minutes until well browned, then toss and fry a further 2–3 minutes until deeply golden. Do this in two batches if necessary so the pan isn't overcrowded.
Reduce the heat to medium, add the brown onion and leek and cook for 4–5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic cloves and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Sprinkle over the plain flour, stir well and cook for 1 minute to remove the raw flour taste.
Gradually pour in the hot vegetable stock while stirring, then add the double cream and fresh thyme. Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for 4–5 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and black pepper.
Return the drained tagliatelle to the pan with the sauce. Add the vegetarian hard cheese, lemon zest and 1 tbsp lemon juice, then toss everything together, adding up to the reserved pasta water a tablespoon at a time to loosen the sauce until glossy and coating the pasta.
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Serve immediately scattered with a little extra thyme and grated vegetarian hard cheese if you like, and allow each plate to rest for 1–2 minutes before eating.
Tips
- Don’t rush the browning — giving the mushrooms time without stirring produces the best colour and flavour.
- Reserve pasta water before draining; the starchy water is the easiest way to make the sauce cling to the pasta.
- Make ahead: you can cook the mushrooms and veg and keep in the fridge for 24 hours; finish with cream and pasta just before serving.
- If the sauce looks too thick once the pasta’s in, add a splash more reserved pasta water rather than cream to avoid making it greasy.
- For an extra hit of umami add a teaspoon of miso paste or a splash of vegetarian soy sauce when you add the stock.
Substitutions
double cream → crème fraîche, same quantity (150 ml)
Stays closedried tagliatelle → gluten-free pasta, same quantity (400 g)
Noticeably differentchestnut mushrooms → mixed wild mushrooms, same quantity (500 g)
Stays closevegetarian hard cheese → nutritional yeast, 2 tbsp (for a dairy-free option)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 690
- Calories
- 21 g
- Protein
- 74 g
- Carbs
- 34 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 520 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegan?
Yes — swap the butter for olive oil, use a plant-based cream alternative and a vegan hard cheese or nutritional yeast; flavour will be slightly different but still excellent.
How can I stop the mushrooms getting watery?
Cook in a very hot pan in batches and don’t stir them immediately — that encourages browning and prevents steaming.
Can I use dried mushrooms?
You can, but rehydrate them first in hot water and reserve the soaking liquid to add to the stock for extra flavour.
How long will leftovers keep?
Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat gently on the hob with a splash of water or stock to loosen the sauce.
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