Creamy Mince and Mushroom Pasta

If you need a cosy, filling dinner that doesn’t take much thinking about, this creamy mince and mushroom pasta is a lovely one to keep up your sleeve. It’s rich, savoury, family-friendly, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have in the fridge or cupboard.

The mushrooms add extra flavour and make the sauce feel a bit more comforting, while the cream and cheese bring everything together into a silky, satisfying pasta dish. It’s perfect for a weeknight tea, especially when you’ve got a packet of mince and want something more exciting than the usual bolognese.

Ingredients
Serves 4

• 400g beef mince
• 300g pasta, such as penne, fusilli, shells or rigatoni
• 150g to 200g mushrooms, sliced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed or finely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato puree
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp mixed herbs or Italian herbs
• 300ml beef stock
• 150ml double cream or single cream
• 75g grated cheddar or parmesan
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, optional but tasty
• Salt and black pepper
• 1 tbsp oil for frying

Optional extras:
• A handful of spinach
• Frozen peas
• Sweetcorn
• Chilli flakes
• Extra cheese for serving

Method

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the pasta until just al dente.

Before draining, save a mug of pasta water. This is useful later if you want to loosen the sauce.

While the pasta is cooking, heat a little oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chopped onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until softened.

Add the sliced mushrooms and fry for another 4 to 5 minutes. Let them cook down properly so they release their water and start to turn golden.

This gives the dish a deeper, more savoury flavour.

Stir in the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.

Add the beef mince and fry until browned, breaking it up with a spoon as it cooks. If there is a lot of excess fat, carefully drain some away.

Add the tomato puree,

paprika,

mixed herbs,

Worcestershire sauce, salt and black pepper. Stir everything together and let it cook for 1 minute so the flavours can deepen.

Pour in the beef stock and let it simmer for 5 to 8 minutes until slightly reduced.

Lower the heat, then stir in the cream.

Add the cooked pasta to the pan and mix until everything is coated in the creamy sauce.

Stir through the grated cheese until melted.

If the sauce feels too thick, add a splash of the reserved pasta water until it’s just how you like it.

Taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. Serve hot with extra cheese, black pepper and a sprinkle of herbs if you fancy.

Tips

For a richer flavour, use chestnut mushrooms instead of white mushrooms. If you want to make it stretch further, add peas, spinach or sweetcorn near the end of cooking.
This is also a great recipe for leftovers. Keep it in the fridge and reheat gently with a splash of milk or water to bring the creamy sauce back.

This creamy mince and mushroom pasta is the kind of easy, comforting meal that always goes down well. It’s simple enough for a busy weeknight, but still feels hearty and satisfying, with plenty of flavour from the mushrooms, garlic, herbs and creamy sauce.

Serve it with a little extra cheese on top and maybe some garlic bread on the side, and you’ve got a cosy homemade dinner that everyone will want again.