• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About Me
  • Recipes
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast
    • Burgers and Sandwiches
    • Desserts
    • Main Dishes
    • Pasta
    • Salads
    • Sauces and Seasonings
    • Sides
    • Soups and Stews
    • Vegetarian
  • Newsletter Sign-Up
  • Contact

Burrata and Bubbles logo

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • About Me
  • Contact
  • Subscribe
×
Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

Published: Feb 21, 2019 · Modified: Jun 4, 2023 by Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Morel Mushroom Pasta in Parmesan Cream Sauce

Jump to Recipe
A collage of the morel mushroom pasta after cooking and the morel mushrooms soaking with text overlay between the two images.
A collage of the morel mushroom pasta after cooking and the morel mushrooms soaking with text overlay between the two images.

Mushroom lovers, this recipe is for you. We take tender, earthy morel mushrooms and pile them on a bed of pasta covered in a garlicky Parmesan cream sauce with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and a kick of citrus. Every decadent bite of this morel mushroom pasta is comfort food at its finest.

A bowl of morel mushroom pasta with a blue and white napkin.
Jump to:
  • How to Rehydrate Morel Mushrooms
  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • How to Substitute Fresh Morels
  • Perfect Pairing
  • Pasta Obsessed, Are We?
  • 📖 Recipe

And while this pasta is certainly comfort food, the morel mushrooms make it plenty fancy to serve for a special occasion. Large-scale commercial farmers don’t grow morel mushrooms in rows and rows like other mainstream crops.

Rather, morel mushrooms are harvested by literally foraging the forest to hand-pick these delicious beauties between March and May. Considering all the hard work and dedication that goes into bringing us morel mushrooms, I always feel fortunate when they're on my plate.

In the interest of full disclosure, dried morel mushrooms are on the pricy side because of their labor-intensive harvesting; however, these are meaty little 'shrooms, and a little bit goes a long way. Only 1 ounce of dried morel mushrooms easily serves four people. Because morel mushrooms are so substantial, we're not using a protein in this pasta, so the cost balances out when you think about it that way.

And, hey, this is special-occasion pasta. Sometimes you need a splurge in your life.

Given their limited availability and specialty nature, you might worry about finding morel mushrooms at your local grocery store but don't fear. That's why Amazon exists, so we can easily get our dried morel mushrooms there.

How to Rehydrate Morel Mushrooms

Before we make our morel mushroom pasta, we need to rehydrate our morel mushrooms. Simply place the morel mushrooms in a bowl and cover with two cups of warm water. We don't want boiling-hot water. Warm water is just fine. We let our morel mushrooms sit in the water for 20-30 minutes and then drain, slice and rinse, reserving the mushroom liquid.

And don't skip the rinsing. Grit can get stuck in those little honeycomb-like holes, but make it a quick swish.

A bowl of morel mushrooms rehydrating.
The morel mushrooms sliced in half.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Now that our morel mushrooms are rehydrated, we're ready to start on the pasta. Let's go ahead and start boiling our pasta water and add the pasta when it's ready. If you prep all the ingredients for the sauce ahead of time --- and you most definitely should --- the sauce goes pretty quickly, so you should be able to time it well with the pasta.

For the sauce, we start by melting a stick of butter because this recipe is all about special occasions, which always call for lots of butter. We add our morel mushrooms and let them brown for a few minutes. From here, we add in plenty of garlic and then pour in the reserved liquid from the morel mushrooms.

After the reserved liquid reduces, we're ready to add a good dose of heavy cream and let that heat up just a bit. Now we throw in a handful of freshly grated Parmesan and stir to melt. And I'd like to emphasize the "freshly grated" part. Please don't use that pre-grated Parmesan in a can. That stuff won't melt, and you'll be left with a gritty texture. Definitely not what we want with special-occasion pasta. Or any pasta for that matter.

By now, our pasta should be ready, so we turn off the heat and stir in a little lemon zest along with fresh chives and tarragon. Give it a taste and season with salt and pepper if you'd like. Parmesan is on the salty side, so you might only need a little pepper. Listen to your heart on that one.

To finish, we stir in the pasta, scoop into bowls and enjoy pure bliss. Oh, and make sure you have plenty of crusty bread on the side. This recipe makes a saucy bowl for the specific purpose of dipping. You're welcome. ❤️

Bonus: For more elegant meals, you'll also love this spring risotto, black garlic pasta and smoked salmon risotto!

How to Substitute Fresh Morels

Get lucky and score some fresh morels? You can still make this dish.

Obviously, fresh morels don't require rehydrating, so you won't have that mushroom liquid. You can instead substitute vegetable stock for that liquid.

Dried morels also weigh less than fresh, so we'll need to adjust that measurement. Generally, 1 pound of fresh morels equals about 2-3 ounces of dried morels. Since this recipe calls for 1 ounce of dried morels, somewhere between ⅓ pound to ½ pound of fresh morels will do.

Fettuccine in the Parmesan cream sauce ready to be mixed.

Perfect Pairing

Morel mushrooms are known for pairing well with many wines, but for this particular dish, I recommend an oaky chardonnay. With chardonnay, you get a buttery undertones with a rich mouthfeel, which stand up well to the cream sauce. The oaky notes also pair perfectly with the earthiness from the mushrooms.

Keeping the oak theme alive, a wild ale aged in oak barrels is a great option for my fellow beer lovers. During the fermentation process of wild ales, the yeast tends to result in herbal, grassy notes that complement the morel mushrooms. These beers also typically have a dry finish to cut through the creamy sauce, and it's not uncommon to get some tartness.

If you have access to Crooked Stave beers, Surette is an excellent choice. But no worries if not. I'm sure a friendly face at your local bottle shop could offer some alternatives.

When a special occasion calls, I hope you try this morel mushroom pasta in a Parmesan cream sauce.

Cheers!

The morel mushroom pasta with wine glasses.
A fork swirling into the morel mushroom pasta.

Pasta Obsessed, Are We?

  • Caprese carbonara
  • Grilled lobster fettuccine in lemon Alfredo sauce
  • Tex-Mex avocado pasta with chili-tequila roasted shrimp

If you love this recipe, please leave a comment with a five-star rating — or simply hit the five-star button in the recipe card. Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter, and you can follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and TikTok.

📖 Recipe

A bowl of morel mushroom pasta with a blue and white napkin.

Morel Mushroom Pasta in Parmesan Cream Sauce

Tender, earthy morel mushrooms sit on a bed of pasta covered in a garlicky Parmesan cream sauce with a sprinkling of fresh herbs and a kick of citrus. Every decadent bite of this morel mushroom pasta is comfort food at its finest.
5 from 132 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Italian
Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 50 minutes minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 536kcal
Author: Amanda McGrory-Dixon

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Saucepan

Ingredients

  • 1 ounce dried morel mushrooms see notes for fresh morel substitution
  • 2 cups warm water
  • Fettuccine 12-16 ounces dried or 18 ounces fresh
  • ½ cup butter
  • 4-5 garlic cloves minced or grated
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup Parmesan freshly grated using the small-hole side
  • 2 tablespoons fresh chives chopped
  • 2 tablespoons fresh tarragon chopped
  • 1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Crusty bread for serving optional

Instructions

  • Place dried morel mushrooms in a bowl and cover with warm water. Let the morel mushrooms sit for 20-30 minutes. Drain, reserving the morel mushroom liquid (see note). Quickly rinse the morel mushrooms and slice them in half.
  • Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta and cook the pasta when the water is ready. As the water heats, prep your other ingredients.
  • In a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the morel mushrooms and cook until they're golden, about four minutes, and then add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring often.
  • Pour in the reserved morel mushroom liquid. Cook until it reduces to about ¼ cup.
  • Add the heavy cream, stir to combine and allow to heat to a near simmer. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until it melts. Let it simmer for a few minutes to thicken but don't boil. If the sauce is ready before the pasta, turn the heat to the lowest setting and stir occasionally.
  • Drain the pasta when ready. Turn off the heat on the sauce and stir in chives, tarragon and lemon zest. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Toss pasta in with the sauce and divide into bowls. Serve with crusty bread for dipping. Enjoy!

Notes

  • If you'd like to substitute fresh morels, use vegetable stock for the mushroom liquid and about ⅓ to ½ pound of fresh morels.
  • When draining the liquid, you may want to use a coffee filter or place a paper towel over a fine-mesh sieve to catch any grit.
  • Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Nutrition

Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 536kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 14g | Fat: 51g | Saturated Fat: 32g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 467mg | Potassium: 299mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 2207IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 456mg | Iron: 2mg
Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @BurrataandBubbles or tag #burratandbubbles!

More Main Dishes

  • Three brisket tacos on a wooden plate with lime slices behind it and a bowl of guacamole to the side.
    Crispy Brisket Tacos With Smoked Cheddar and Caramelized Onions
  • The smoked rack of lamb on a white serving platter with chopped parsley on top of a glass of wine and two candles to the side.
    Smoked Rack of Lamb
  • Looking down on a deep-fried duck with candles to the left and orange slices and cranberries scattered around the bird.
    Deep-Fried Duck With Fig-Orange Glaze
  • A side view of the smoked spatchcock turkey on a white platter with green leaf lettuce, orange slices and pomegranates before carving.
    Crispy Smoked Spatchcock Turkey
1.7K shares
  • Share
  • Yummly
  • Mix
  • Twitter

Reader Interactions

Comments

    5 from 132 votes (109 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




  1. Stacey says

    May 19, 2025 at 5:27 pm

    5 stars
    This is soooo good! Thank you for a recipe that knocks it out of the park!

    Reply
  2. Sandra says

    July 04, 2024 at 11:40 pm

    5 stars
    Umm wow! I’m speechless. I followed the recipe to a tee for the fresh morel option except I added less butter and less cream and added some frozen green peas into the pasta for the last minute of boiling time to give the dish a pop of fresh green. This was easily the best pasta dish I’ve had in my life. No restaurant meal compares. I’m saving this for an occasional, indulgent meal that’s absolutely worth the calories. Thank you for this recipe!

    Reply
  3. Scott Burney says

    May 19, 2024 at 4:33 pm

    We added shallots and fresh picked asparagus and fresh thyme. It was phenomenally.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      May 25, 2024 at 4:04 pm

      Those sound like great additions. Thanks for sharing, Scott!

      Reply
  4. Mary says

    May 02, 2024 at 5:10 pm

    5 stars
    Real good. I would even use this sauce in a seafood pasta dish.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      May 08, 2024 at 9:52 am

      Thanks, Mary! That sounds like another wonderful use.

      Reply
  5. Shelby Barnhart says

    April 21, 2024 at 4:56 pm

    5 stars
    So good!! I used some lemon juice as well and it made it a little lighter. Husband approved!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      April 23, 2024 at 12:54 pm

      Happy you both loved it, Shelby!

      Reply
  6. Marie-Pierre Breton says

    March 21, 2023 at 6:13 am

    5 stars
    Yum! This was delicious. I just love morels, and that creamy pasta sauce is so good. I'll have to use that sauce on other pasta dishes. Thanks!

    Reply
  7. Robert Oversier says

    June 20, 2022 at 12:29 pm

    5 stars
    Instead of vegetable bullion, I use Better than Bullion made with fresh mushrooms. Great recipe!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 21, 2022 at 10:09 am

      Thank you! Glad you loved it and thank you for sharing!

      Reply
    • Hiromi says

      April 11, 2023 at 3:30 pm

      I’m confused. I didn’t see this recipe called for bouillon …

      Reply
      • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

        April 11, 2023 at 3:51 pm

        Hi there! There's an option for vegetable stock, which can be made from bouillon, in the notes section for using fresh morels instead of dried morels.

  8. Alison says

    June 11, 2022 at 10:47 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious sauce! The morels were such a treat. I will be making this again!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 13, 2022 at 2:54 pm

      Thank you so much, Alison! So, so happy you loved it.

      Reply
  9. Amanda Magaldi says

    June 01, 2021 at 5:54 pm

    5 stars
    Really loved this recipe! Some pointers. For larger morels I cut them more than in half so someone wouldn’t get an entire bite of Morel. I also used half milk half heavy whipping cream mainly because I ran out and it seemed to work fine. I forgot to save the Morel water and used vegetable stock. It took about 20 min for the stock to fully reduce. Lastly we added some Italian parsley and basil on top and that also was good! Unlike most recipes, I barely changed anything from the original. A true mark of a good recipe!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 01, 2021 at 7:05 pm

      Thank you so much, Amanda! I'm so glad you loved it and appreciate your taking the time to rate and review!

      Reply
  10. Michelle Hamilton says

    June 18, 2019 at 12:30 am

    This is my new favorite Morel mushroom recipe! Delicious!

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 18, 2019 at 1:29 am

      Awww, thank you! So, so glad to hear you loved it. ?

      Reply
  11. Jennifer Tammy says

    June 10, 2019 at 3:05 am

    OMG that parmesan cream sauce looks unreal - my daughter loves all things mushrooms and pasta, so this is definitely happening at our house this week.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      June 18, 2019 at 1:07 am

      Thank you! Hope you both loved it!

      Reply
  12. Gia says

    May 24, 2019 at 2:07 am

    How could you adapt this with fresh Morel mushrooms instead of dried?

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      May 24, 2019 at 1:43 pm

      Hi, Gia! I would substitute vegetable stock or broth for the liquid you’d get from rehydrating the mushrooms. If you use two cups of stock and then reduce it to 1/4 cup, you’ll be good to go. Otherwise, you shouldn’t have to make any other changes. Better Than Bouillon makes a vegetable base that works great for a stock. You can find it in the soup aisle of most grocery stores. I hope you love it! I’m a little jealous you have fresh morels in hand. ?

      Reply
  13. Stephanie says

    March 04, 2019 at 5:26 pm

    5 stars
    This looks so very delicious! Throw anything in a parmesan cream sauce and I am IN! Can't wait to try it.

    Reply
    • Amanda McGrory-Dixon says

      March 05, 2019 at 4:26 pm

      Right? I'm a sucker for creamy pastas.

      Reply
« Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

A headshot of Amanda, the owner of Burrata and Bubbles, holding a beer.

Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

More about me →

Christmas Recipes

  • An aerial view of the smoked prime rib roast with a couple pieces carved off on a cream-colored platter.
    Smoked Prime Rib (Standing Rib Roast)
  • The peppermint chocolate chip cookies on a silver platter with sparkly lights in the background and holiday decor to the left.
    Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • The finished Christmas roast duck on a wooden board surrounded by rosemary, cinnamon sticks, sugared cranberries and red flowers.
    Christmas Roast Duck With Cranberry-Orange Glaze
  • A glass bowl of gingerbread ice cream with ornaments and gingerbread cookies around it with a gold spoon sticking out of the bowl.
    Gingerbread Ice Cream

Trending Recipes

  • An aerial view of the smoked queso dip on burlap with cilantro and crushed tortilla chips to the left.
    Smoked Queso Dip
  • Looking down on a wooden plate with smoked jalapeño poppers on a folded piece of burlap with cilantro on the side.
    The Best Smoked Jalapeño Poppers
  • A close-up shot of the pellet grill brisket on a white plate with baked beans in the background.
    Smoked Pellet Grill Brisket (Texas Style)
  • A wooden spoon scooping out some smoked mac and cheese from the dish with cheese strings on the bottom of the spoon.
    The Ultimate Smoked Mac and Cheese
A collection of black and white logos from publications that have featured Burrata and Bubbles
A headshot of Amanda, the owner of Burrata and Bubbles, holding a beer.

Hi, I'm Amanda, a Denver-based lady who believes life is best spent with comforting meals, tasty beverages and good company. When I'm not playing in the kitchen, I'm probably exploring new breweries with my husband, Matt, or obsessing over my adorable dog, Baylor.

More about me →

Christmas Recipes

  • An aerial view of the smoked prime rib roast with a couple pieces carved off on a cream-colored platter.
    Smoked Prime Rib (Standing Rib Roast)
  • The peppermint chocolate chip cookies on a silver platter with sparkly lights in the background and holiday decor to the left.
    Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
  • The finished Christmas roast duck on a wooden board surrounded by rosemary, cinnamon sticks, sugared cranberries and red flowers.
    Christmas Roast Duck With Cranberry-Orange Glaze
  • A glass bowl of gingerbread ice cream with ornaments and gingerbread cookies around it with a gold spoon sticking out of the bowl.
    Gingerbread Ice Cream

Trending Recipes

  • An aerial view of the smoked queso dip on burlap with cilantro and crushed tortilla chips to the left.
    Smoked Queso Dip
  • Looking down on a wooden plate with smoked jalapeño poppers on a folded piece of burlap with cilantro on the side.
    The Best Smoked Jalapeño Poppers
  • A close-up shot of the pellet grill brisket on a white plate with baked beans in the background.
    Smoked Pellet Grill Brisket (Texas Style)
  • A wooden spoon scooping out some smoked mac and cheese from the dish with cheese strings on the bottom of the spoon.
    The Ultimate Smoked Mac and Cheese
A collection of black and white logos from publications that have featured Burrata and Bubbles

Copyright © 2025 Burrata and Bubbles on the Brunch Pro Theme

Rate This Recipe

Your vote:




A rating is required
A name is required
An email is required

Recipe Ratings without Comment

Something went wrong. Please try again.

Privacy Policy