Steak and Mushroom Pasta | Precious Core

September 9, 2024 Stan

This Steak and Mushroom Pasta is an impressive yet simple dish that is perfect to make even on weeknights when you do not have the luxury of time. It is a flavorful, easy, delicious meal of pasta in a creamy sauce with steak and mushrooms that everyone will love.

Creamy pasta in a bowl topped with juicy steak.

Surely, this Steak and Mushroom Pasta will become one of your favorite comforting dinners, and you will be making it again and again.

If you love steak and mushroom pasta, I’m sure you’d enjoy my Creamy Garlic Parmesan Chicken Pasta and Cajun Pasta With Salmon recipe. Please try them out and share your thoughts in the comments.

Steak and Mushroom Pasta Recipe

This Creamy Steak and Mushroom Pasta is set to become your go-to pasta meal the next time you plan to pamper that steak lover that is dear to your heart.

This refined yet very approachable dish displays the perfect blend of comforting ingredients: chunky pasta, fresh slices of juicy steak, and mushrooms with a vivid, creamy whisky sauce.

Plus, I do not hold back when sprinkling the Parmesan cheese. Can there be an excess to the delicious grated Parmesan cheese? Do not be silly.

Prepare them following the rather easy instructions provided in this recipe, and the recipe will turn out perfect in just 30 minutes.

Why You’ll Love This Steak and Mushroom Pasta Recipe

Filled with tasty, tender slices of steak for the richest carnivorous experience.
The creaminess and rich taste of the pasta combined with steak and intense mushroom-whisky sauce.
Loaded with parmesan cheese.
Ideal for a romantic dinner, dating, entertainment, functions, and events, this 30-minute meal is perfect for the entire family.
This is one of the simplest pasta recipes, yet it offers the most intense flavors.

Ingredients Needed

Here are the main elements of this creamy steak pasta recipe that you should know. Every component used in the preparation of the steak and mushroom pasta is very vital in the making of this delicious pasta.

Ingredients for steak and mushroom pasta.

Rigatoni Pasta: It is advisable to use large-tubed Rigatoni for this dish. It clings to the creamy sauce, ensuring that with every bite, all the tastes harmoniously blend.
Sirloin Steak: I select sirloin for its great flavor and tenderness, with a moderate fat content. When well cooked, it stays soft and succulent. But, you could also use another cut of steak like flank steak or skirt steak.
Fresh Mushrooms: Choose the mushrooms you like, such as cremini mushrooms (also known as baby Bella), Portobello (mature cremini mushrooms), chestnut, or Shiitake. I often go for button mushrooms, slicing the big ones in half and leaving the small ones as they are.
Whisky: There is no need to make things complicated—use any whisky you have on hand. It can be blended, single malt, or bourbon.
Parmesan Cheese: I use Parmesan, but if it is out of reach, you could use Grana Padano, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino Romano, or Piave, all of which are hard and robust cheese in taste, or any other cheese of your choice.
Dijon Mustard: I specifically use Dijon mustard due to its thin grain and gentle, pungent taste. Other varieties you could use are ground stone mustard, wholegrain mustard, or simply brown mustard. However, do not use English mustard because it is too powerful, and ordinary ‘hot dog mustard’ will not yield the desired taste.

There are other ingredients needed in this recipe. Please do not forget to look at the recipe card below. There, you will find a detailed list of all the ingredients and their measurements.

Steak and Mushroom Pasta Recipe Variations

Steak and mushroom pasta can be prepared in numerous ways depending on your preferred taste. Here are a few ideas:

Lemon Zest: Add grated lemon zest for a lemony flavor.
Garlic Powder: For even more garlic taste, season the steak with garlic powder.
Blue Cheese: Sprinkle blue cheese on top of the pasta.
Sun-Dried Tomatoes: For some color and sweetness, add sun-dried tomatoes.
Balsamic Glaze: Drizzle with balsamic glaze if you like.
Seasoning: Replace the parsley with basil, fresh rosemary, or Italian seasoning.
Spaghetti For steak spaghetti, replace the chunky pasta with spaghetti or linguine. The same goes for steak fettuccine.

Substitutions

No need to worry, if you do not have all the ingredients present now! Here are a few substitutions that will work just as well:

Steak: You may use chicken breast or pork tenderloin in preparing this dish.
Heavy Cream: If you prefer a less dense cream, you can use half-and-half or a non-dairy cream.
Mushrooms: Some good substitutes are Portobello or shiitake mushrooms.
Pasta: Here is some other pasta you can try, too: Penne pasta (tube-shaped pasta), Rotini pasta (corkscrew pasta), Farfalle pasta (bowtie pasta), Gemelli pasta (twisted pasta), Fusilli pasta (spiral pasta), Orecchiette pasta (ear-shaped pasta).

How to Make Steak and Mushroom Pasta

1: Season and Cook the Steak

Rub olive oil onto both sides of the steak and then sprinkle with salt and black pepper as needed.
Heat a frying pan or skillet on medium-high heat. Depending on your preferred doneness, once that pan is hot, put steak in and sear it on both sides. An indicator for a medium-rare steak should be about 4 minutes on each side, while for a medium steak; it should be about 5 minutes on each side. This may depend on the thickness of the steak, which may take a slightly longer time to cook.
Remove the steak, transfer it to a plate, and cover it with the foil to rest.

2: Cook the Pasta

In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta following the package directions or until al dente. One thing to remember is that the pasta water must be seasoned with enough salt. For this quantity of pasta, you will need approximately 1 tablespoon of salt.
Do not forget to save at least ½ cup of the pasta water before you drain the pasta in a colander.

To get a deeper mushroom flavor, use high heat to sauté the mushrooms without overcrowding your pan. This helps them brown correctly and acquire that deep and savory taste characteristic of umami. If necessary, cook them in different batches to avoid the process of steaming.

3: Prepare the Creamy Mushroom Sauce

While the pasta is being cooked on the other burner, begin preparing the cream sauce. Add the cream, half a teaspoon of salt, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar to a bowl. Stir and set aside.

In a large frying pan (large skillet), heat the oil and butter. When the butter has melted, turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onions. Fry for about 4 minutes until the onions are tender.
Stir in garlic, and sugar, and sauté for another 2 minutes or until the onions are light brown and caramelized.

Next, add the sliced mushrooms and fry them until they are golden brown, which takes about 4 minutes.

Raise the heat a little and add the whisky. Simmer the whisky until it is reduced into nearly a glaze, about 2 minutes.
Stir in the creamy pasta sauce you prepared earlier. Stir it through and cook for another two minutes to ensure that the ingredients heat through well and take up the flavors.

Take the pan off the heat source. Finally, mix the grated parmesan cheese and chopped fresh parsley. Mix them in.

Parmesan added to creamy mushroom sauce.

4: Combine Pasta and the Sauce

Stir in the drained and cooked pasta, loosening it all gently into the sauce. Then, add the starchy pasta water that you have set aside until it is as soft as you wish. Normally, I use the whole ½ cup.

5: Top With Sliced Steak and Serve

Slice the steak against the grain into thin strips.

Place the steak over the pasta right after it has been portioned out into bowls.

Serve hot, garnishing with an extra touch of freshly chopped parsley, an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

This will be the best steak and mushroom pasta of your life!

Love steaks? Also, check out my unique Pan Seared Ribeye Steaks.

Once cooked, let the steak sit for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing it. This allows the juices to be distributed evenly throughout the meat, and by the time you serve it, the steak tastes tender and juicy.

Landscape photo of steak and mushroom pasta.

Expert Tips for Steak and Mushroom Pasta

Slice the steak across the grain for the juiciest cuts.
To get the best taste, use fresh, high-quality ingredients like freshly grated Parmesan and minced garlic.
If you have any of the pasta left over, make sure you put the remaining in an airtight container and place it in the refrigerator. Ideally, eat it within 2-3 days for the best freshness and quality.
Use a cast iron pan to cook the steak so it can get a good sear.

Serving

Serve this Steak and Mushroom Pasta alongside the following:

More Steak Recipes

More Dinner Recipes

Massage both sides of the steak using 1 tablespoon of oil, and then sprinkle with salt and black pepper to your liking.
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, 1 pound sirloin steak
Heat a large skillet or frying pan on a medium-high heat.
Once the pan is hot, put the steak in and cook it on both sides to the desired doneness. An indicator for a medium-rare steak should be about 4 minutes on each side, while for a medium steak; it should be about 5 minutes on each side. This may depend on the thickness of the steak, which may take slightly longer to cook.
Remove the steak from the pan, transfer it to a plate, and cover it with foil to rest.
In a large pot of boiling water, cook the pasta for the time indicated on the packet or until al dente. One thing to remember is that the pasta water must be seasoned with enough salt. For this quantity of pasta, you will need approximately 1 tablespoon of salt.
14 oz dry Rigatoni pasta or penne
Important: Remember to save at least ½ cup of the pasta water before draining it in a colander.

Creamy Mushroom Sauce

Begin preparing the creamy mushroom sauce while the pasta cooks on the other burner.
To a medium mixing bowl, add the cream, half a teaspoon of salt, Dijon mustard, black pepper, and balsamic vinegar. Stir and set aside.
½ teaspoon salt, 1¼ cups heavy cream or double cream, 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar, ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the butter in a large frying pan or skillet (use the same skillet the steak was cooked in). When the butter has melted, turn the heat down to medium-low, add the onions, and fry for about 4 minutes until the onions are tender.
1 tablespoon butter, 1 large onion, 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Stir in garlic, and sugar, and sauté for another 2 minutes or until the onions are light brown and caramelized.
3 garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon sugar
Next, add the sliced mushrooms and fry them until they are golden brown, about 4 minutes.
200 grams fresh mushrooms, sliced
Raise the heat a little and add the whisky. Simmer the whisky until it is reduced to nearly a glaze, about 2 minutes.
4 tablespoons whisky or bourbon
Stir in the creamy pasta sauce you prepared earlier. Stir it through and cook for another two minutes to ensure that the ingredients heat through well and take up the flavors.
Take the pan off the heat source. Finally, mix the grated parmesan cheese (reserve some parmesan for serving) with chopped fresh parsley. Mix to combine.
⅔ cup parmesan cheese, grated, 2-3 tablespoons fresh parsley

Steak and Mushroom Pasta

Stir in the drained and cooked pasta, loosening it all gently into the sauce.
Add the starchy pasta water you have set aside until the pasta reaches your desired consistency. I normally utilize the whole ½ cup.
Put the pan with pasta back on the stove at medium heat and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes to combine all the flavors.
Slice the reserved steak into thin strips.
Serve the pasta in bowls and top with the sliced steak.
Serve hot, garnishing with an extra touch of freshly chopped parsley, an extra sprinkle of parmesan cheese, and lots of freshly ground black pepper.

Before straining the pasta, set aside a cup or two of the pasta water. If the sauce becomes too thick, you can thin it down by adding a splash.
Stir-frying with both butter and olive oil creates a rich flavor without the disadvantage of burning the butter.
Feel free to add any mushrooms that you prefer in the recipe.
For some heat, and to balance the richness of the sauce, add some crushed pepper flakes to the creamy sauce.