Mushroom Garlic Spaghetti

5 from 1 vote

Mushroom Garlic Spaghetti

This ultra-budget-friendly pasta dish is fast, flavorful, and built entirely from pantry staples. Mushroom Garlic Spaghetti is perfect for tight grocery weeks but still tastes like comfort food.

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Italian

Diet: Vegetarian

Servings: servings

Calories: 572kcal

Author: Nicole Durham

Cost: Recipe $4.37 / Serving $1.09

Equipment

Ingredients

2-3 tablespoons olive oil ($0.34)
1 can (4-ounce) mushroom stems and pieces, drained ($1.50)
3-4 cloves garlic, minced ($0.17)
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning ($0.08)
1 pinch red pepper flakes, optional
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
16 ounces spaghetti ($0.98)
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, from the green can ($1.05)
1-2 tablespoons butter, optional ($0.25)

Instructions

Cook pasta. Cook the spaghetti in well-salted water until al dente. Reserve ½ to ¾ cup of the pasta water, then drain and set aside.
Brown mushrooms. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the drained mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook until browned. Add the minced garlic and cook briefly until fragrant. If using jarred garlic, add it after the mushrooms are browned.
Season. Stir in the Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes, if using. Cook for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Build sauce. Add the butter, reserved pasta water, and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until the cheese begins to melt and form a light sauce.
Combine. Reduce heat to low. Add the cooked pasta and toss for 2 to 3 minutes until well coated. Add additional pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
Serve. Serve warm.

Notes

Let mushrooms brown properly, don’t crowd the pan, or they’ll steam instead of sear.
Don’t overcook garlic, it goes from golden to bitter fast, so keep it moving in the pan.
Pasta water is magic, it helps emulsify the olive oil into a silky sauce. Don’t skip it!
Taste and adjust, garlic intensity, salt, and heat can all be adjusted to fit your family’s preferences.

Nutrition