The days are short and the nights are cold, so that means that it’s the perfect time for a quick, easy, comforting, and filling pasta dinner. This Brown Butter Pasta with Pecorino Romano, Mushrooms, and Toasted Walnuts couldn’t be simpler to put together, but its flavors are rich, complex, and satisfying. This recipe is perfect not only for late nights or a quick meal after work, but also for guests hanging around for the holidays. It comes together quickly with ingredients you might already have in your kitchen, but tastes like it came right from a restaurant. Keep this recipe in your back pocket all winter long.
Tis the Season…
The tree is up, the presents are wrapped, and the nights are chilly. This is one of my absolute favorite times of the year. I love the hustle and bustle of the holidays, spending time with family, cooking for a crowd, and getting in the Christmas spirit. There’s plenty of traditions to go around at this time of year, but one of my favorites has to be the food. My family has had the same thing for dinner on Christmas Day for as long as I can remember (crab legs, beef tenderloin, and pasta). Christmas Eve is a little more variable, but we always include seafood as a nod to the Italian traditional Feast of the Seven Fishes. Throughout the rest of the winter, I like to go for cozy, easy, delicious meals that warm my soul along with my body. This pasta is one of those dishes.
Looking for other pasta dishes? Try these:
Creamy Taleggio and Mushroom Pasta
Artichoke Ravioli with Dill Bechamel
White Lasagna with Basil Pesto
Breaking Down the Ingredients
Pasta is already comforting all by itself. But pairing it with brown butter, cheese, earthy mushrooms, and walnuts takes it to another level. Brown butter on its own is a comfort food powerhouse. Think classic, rich and salty butter, turned up a notch with notes of toffee, caramel, and nuts. The best part is that it takes only one ingredient to make: butter! Time and heat is all that’s required to transform it into its richer, nuttier form. Then we have pecorino romano cheese. Pecorino Romano is a sharp cheese that adds saltiness and bite wherever it’s used. I think it adds a fantastic depth of flavor to pasta and a punch of salt that wakes the whole dish up.
Mushrooms always contribute earthy undertones and the type of mushroom you use can add its own special flavors. I used beech mushrooms for their mild, subtly sweet flavor. However, you can use any mushrooms that you like or can find. I usually find a variety of fun mushrooms at the grocery store this time of year, like Hen of the Woods, Royal Trumpet, and Lion’s Mane. Classics like crimini or button are also delicious here. Finally, toasted walnuts add deep, almost smoky richness and a light crunch that really elevates the pasta. The variety of textures and flavors in the dish makes it feel luxurious and special, when its really so simple!
Putting the Brown Butter Pasta with Pecorino Romano, Mushrooms, and Toasted Walnuts Together
Assembling this dish takes just around 30 minutes. The brown butter, mushrooms, and walnuts can all pretty much be prepared while your pasta cooks (depending on what shape you’ve chosen). To start, I bring some water to a boil and throw my pasta in (I used paccheri millerighe, which are like large rigatoni). While the pasta cooks, I brown the butter in a large skillet until golden brown and aromatic. While the butter browns, I toast the walnuts in a separate pan. It’s important to keep an eye on them because they can quickly turn from perfectly toasted to bitter and burnt. Once the butter is browned, I pour it off into a bowl so I can cook the mushrooms without over-browning the butter. I like to saute the mushrooms until tender and slightly browned, so they melt right into the pasta. When the pasta is done, there’s just a few quick steps left. I make sure to save a little of the pasta water when draining my pasta in case I need to add a little extra moisture back. Then the pasta is mixed with the mushrooms, brown butter, grated pecorino romano, and toasted walnuts. All thats left to do is top with an extra sprinkle of cheese, salt, or pepper to taste. Time to enjoy!
In the cold, snowy, Winter months, it’s great to have simple, hearty, flavorful meals like this to fall back on. And because it can be prepared so quickly, it can make for a weeknight dinner just as easily as a main course for a big family dinner. It’s hard to feel any Winter blues with a big bowl of this pasta in front of you.
I hope you love this Brown Butter Pasta with Pecorino Romano, Mushrooms, and Toasted Walnuts as much as I do! If you make this recipe, leave a comment and let me know what you thought or feel free to ask a question! I’d also love to see what you made! Tag me in your food pics @fortheperfectbite or use #fortheperfectbite on Instagram.
Brown Butter Pasta with Pecorino Romano, Mushrooms, and Toasted Walnuts
Ingredients
- 16 oz. dried pasta
- 6 tbsp salted butter
- 12 oz. mushrooms (beech, crimini, or button), chopped
- ½ cup walnut pieces, roughly chopped
- ½ cup pecorino romano, grated, plus more for topping
- kosher salt
- freshly cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Once the water is boiling, add pasta and cook according to the directions for your chosen pasta, until al dente.
- While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet. Once fully melted, allow the butter to cook over medium about 5 minutes more, until the foam subsides and a rich golden brown color is achieved. Pour the brown butter into a separate bowl for now.
- In the same skillet, add 1 tbsp olive oil and saute the mushrooms over medium high heat until tender and lightly browned, 7-9 minutes.
- In a separate, dry pan, toast the walnuts over medium heat, until fragrant and just beginning to brown, 4-5 minutes, stirring often. Remove from the heat as soon as they are toasted as they can burn quickly.
- When the pasta is cooked, drain the pasta, reserving ½ cup of pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet with the mushrooms, and return to low heat.
- Stir the pasta, brown butter, walnuts, and pecorino romano into the mushrooms. You can add a splash or two of the reserved pasta water if it looks a little dry.
- Serve, topping with extra pecorino romano, salt, and black pepper to taste.
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