Tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms is a classic Italian pasta dish that celebrates one of the most prized mushrooms of the fall season. With their rich, earthy aroma and meaty texture, fresh porcini need very little to turn a plate of pasta into something special.
In this recipe, the porcini are simply sautéed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic, and parsley, then tossed with fresh tagliatelle so that the pasta absorbs all their flavor.
Fresh tagliatelle are especially good with this sauce because their rough, porous surface holds onto the mushroom juices beautifully.
The result is a simple but intensely flavorful Italian pasta dish, perfect when fresh porcini mushrooms are in season.
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Ingredients
Prep Time: 15 Min | Cook Time: 20 Min | Servings: 4
If you're making fresh tagliatelle from scratch, allow about 1 additional hour for preparation.
- 400 g (14 oz) fresh tagliatelle, homemade or store-bought. To make them from scratch, see our homemade pasta recipe.
- 400 g (14 oz) fresh porcini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 garlic clove, peeled and left whole
- 1 sprig fresh parsley, finely chopped
- Fine salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Kitchen Tools You May Need
- Small sharp knife: for trimming and slicing the porcini mushrooms.
- Soft mushroom brush or damp cloth: for cleaning the porcini gently without soaking them in water.
- Immersion blender: for blending part of the cooked porcini into a smooth cream.
- Large pot: for cooking the fresh tagliatelle in plenty of salted water.
- Large, wide skillet: essential for cooking the porcini and tossing the tagliatelle with the porcini sauce.
How to Make Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushrooms
Clean the Porcini
Clean the porcini mushrooms carefully, as this is an important step for getting the best texture and flavor. Trim off the earthy end of the stem and gently scrape away any remaining dirt with a small knife. Clean the cap with a soft mushroom brush or a slightly damp cloth.
Check the spongy underside of the cap as well. If it's pale and firm, you can leave it intact. If it has become dark green, very soft, or slimy, remove it gently.
Only if the mushrooms are particularly dirty, rinse them very quickly under cold running water and dry them immediately. Never soak porcini mushrooms, as they absorb water easily and may release it during cooking.
For more detailed instructions, see our step-by-step guide on how to clean porcini mushrooms.
Make the Porcini Sauce
Step 1) - Cut the cleaned porcini into slices about ⅛ inch (3–4 mm) thick. Avoid slicing them too thinly, or they may break apart during cooking and lose their pleasantly meaty texture.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large, wide skillet. Pierce the whole garlic clove with a toothpick and add it to the oil. Let it become lightly golden and fragrant.
Step 2) - Add the porcini, spreading them out in an even layer without overcrowding the pan.
Cook over medium-high heat for about 3–4 minutes without stirring, so the mushrooms have time to brown rather than steam. Turn them gently and continue cooking for another 4–6 minutes, depending on their thickness.
Season with salt about halfway through cooking. The total cooking time should be around 8–10 minutes: the porcini should be cooked through but still firm.
Remove the garlic clove, season with freshly ground black pepper and additional salt if needed.
Make the Mushroom Cream and Toss the Pasta
Step 3) - Transfer about one-third of the cooked porcini to a tall container. Add a small ladleful of pasta cooking water and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
Step 4) - Return the porcini cream to the skillet and mix it with the remaining mushroom slices. Then add the finely chopped parsley.
Step 5) - Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fresh tagliatelle. Fresh pasta usually cooks very quickly, about 2–4 minutes, depending on its thickness. For more informations read our guide How to Cook Fresh Pasta
Drain the tagliatelle while still very al dente, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water. Add the pasta directly to the skillet and toss gently over low heat for about 1 minute.
Step 6) - Add a little reserved pasta water as needed until the mushroom cream coats the tagliatelle evenly.
The starch from the pasta water and the blended porcini create a naturally creamy sauce without the need for cream or butter.
Serve the tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms immediately, while hot.
Tips for Perfect Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushrooms
Cook the Porcini Over Medium-High Heat - Porcini release quite a bit of moisture as they cook. Keep the heat medium-high so that this liquid evaporates and the mushrooms develop a lightly browned exterior while remaining firm and meaty inside. Avoid cooking them over low heat, which can make them watery and soft.
Salt During Cooking, Not at the Very Beginning - Let the mushrooms begin to brown before adding the salt. Salting them immediately can encourage them to release moisture before they have had a chance to sear.
Blend Only Part of the Porcini - Blending about one-third of the cooked mushrooms creates a naturally creamy sauce while leaving plenty of porcini slices whole. This gives the finished dish the best of both textures: a creamy coating for the tagliatelle and substantial pieces of mushroom in every serving.
Always Reserve Some Pasta Water - Before draining the tagliatelle, save at least 1 cup of the cooking water. Its starch helps the mushroom cream bind to the pasta and allows you to adjust the consistency without adding cream.
Serve Immediately - Tagliatelle with porcini are at their best straight from the skillet. The sauce thickens quickly as it cools, so toss the pasta and serve it right away.
Variations
Garlic - In the main recipe, the garlic clove is left whole and pierced with a toothpick so that it can be removed easily before serving. For a stronger garlic flavor, lightly crush the clove before sautéing it. You can remove it as usual, or blend it together with the portion of porcini used to make the mushroom cream.
Without Blending the Mushrooms - For a more rustic version, skip the immersion blender altogether. Leave all the porcini sliced and toss the tagliatelle directly with the mushrooms and a little pasta cooking water. The sauce will be less creamy, but the flavor of the porcini will remain just as intense.
Butter - For a richer flavor, replace part of the extra virgin olive oil with a small amount of unsalted butter, or add a knob of butter during the final tossing of the pasta.
Type of Pasta- Fresh egg tagliatelle are one of the best choices for porcini mushrooms, but other long pasta shapes work very well too. You can use pappardelle, fettuccine, or tagliolini. Dried tagliatelle can also be used when fresh pasta isn't available; simply follow the cooking time indicated on the package and reserve plenty of pasta water for the sauce.
Storage
Tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms are best served immediately, when the pasta is creamy and the mushrooms are still firm.
If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
Reheat gently in a skillet over low heat with a small splash of water to loosen the sauce. Avoid overheating the pasta, as the tagliatelle can become too soft and the mushrooms may lose their texture.
I don't recommend freezing the finished pasta dish. If possible, it's better to freeze or store the porcini separately and prepare the pasta fresh when needed.
Can You Use Frozen Porcini Mushrooms?
Yes, you can make tagliatelle with frozen porcini mushrooms when fresh porcini are not available. I have tried this version and the result is good, but there are two noticeable differences: the flavor is less intense and the mushrooms tend to be much softer than fresh porcini.
Cook the porcini straight from frozen, without thawing them first, with the garlic clove in a large, very hot skillet. Keep the heat medium-high to help the excess moisture evaporate as quickly as possible, and avoid overcrowding the pan.
Once the liquid has evaporated, continue cooking until the mushrooms begin to brown. Handle them gently, as frozen porcini are more likely to break apart during cooking.
Frozen porcini work particularly well for the blended mushroom cream, where their softer texture is not a problem. However, if you want firm, meaty slices of mushroom in the finished dish, fresh porcini give a noticeably better result.
For this recipe, fresh porcini are my first choice whenever they are in season.
What to Serve with Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushrooms
When fresh porcini are in season, I usually buy a few more than I need for the pasta and turn the meal into a small autumn mushroom feast.
The large, firm caps are perfect for simply grilling them with olive oil, garlic, and parsley. If I have extra porcini, I also like to prepare Funghi Trifolati as a side dish.
For a more substantial dinner, especially when I have guests, Veal Scallopini with Mushrooms make a wonderful second course after the tagliatelle.
And nothing needs to go to waste. I often save the stems and use them for a mushroom risotto within the next day or two. Alternatively, I slice them and freeze them for another recipe.
In other words, a good batch of fresh porcini can easily become an entire Italian fall menu.
Recipe Card
Tagliatelle with Porcini Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 400 g fresh tagliatelle - 14 oz, homemade or store-bought
- 400 g fresh porcini mushrooms - 14 oz, cleaned and sliced
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 clove garlic - peeled and left whole
- 1 sprig fresh parsley - finely chopped
- fine salt - to taste
- freshly ground black pepper - to taste
Instructions
Clean the Porcini
- Clean the porcini mushrooms carefully, as this is an important step for getting the best texture and flavor. Trim off the earthy end of the stem and gently scrape away any remaining dirt with a small knife. Clean the cap with a soft mushroom brush or a slightly damp cloth.
Make the Porcini Sauce
- Cut the cleaned porcini into slices about ⅛ inch (3–4 mm) thick. Avoid slicing them too thinly, or they may break apart during cooking and lose their pleasantly meaty texture.
- Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large, wide skillet. Pierce the whole garlic clove with a toothpick and add it to the oil. Let it become lightly golden and fragrant.
- Add the porcini, spreading them out in an even layer without overcrowding the pan.
- Cook over medium-high heat for about 3–4 minutes without stirring, so the mushrooms have time to brown rather than steam. Turn them gently and continue cooking for another 4–6 minutes, depending on their thickness.
- Season with salt about halfway through cooking. The total cooking time should be around 8–10 minutes: the porcini should be cooked through but still firm.
- Remove the garlic clove, season with freshly ground black pepper and additional salt if needed.
Make the Mushroom Cream and Toss the Pasta
- Transfer about one-third of the cooked porcini to a tall container. Add a small ladleful of pasta cooking water and blend with an immersion blender until smooth and creamy.
- Return the porcini cream to the skillet and mix it with the remaining mushroom slices. Then add the finely chopped parsley.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the fresh tagliatelle. Fresh pasta usually cooks very quickly, about 2–4 minutes, depending on its thickness.
- Drain the tagliatelle while still very al dente, reserving about 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
- Add the pasta directly to the skillet and toss gently over low heat for about 1 minute. Add a little reserved pasta water as needed until the mushroom cream coats the tagliatelle evenly.The starch from the pasta water and the blended porcini create a naturally creamy sauce without the need for cream or butter.
- Serve the tagliatelle with porcini mushrooms immediately, while hot.
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