This creamy garlic mushroom tagliatelle is the perfect date night dinner – it can be on the table in 15 minutes, and the flavours are incredible!

If there was ever a dish that demonstrated the name of this blog perfectly, it’s this creamy garlic mushroom tagliatelle. It’s easy. It’s cheesy. And, you guessed it, it’s vegetarian.
In just 15 minutes, you could have a bowlful of this ultra creamy, cheesy, garlicky pasta on the table. Do it now!

Simple ingredients
There aren’t a huge amount of ingredients in this recipe, but they all go beautifully together – such a perfect combination.
Garlic + mushrooms = a match made in heaven
Mushrooms + parsley = a match made in heaven
Garlic + cream cheese = a match made in heaven
Creamy sauce + pasta = a match made in heaven
I mean, I’m not going to go through all the different combinations, but you get the idea. Simple ingredients, paired together in simple ways, to create a simple pasta dish that’s much greater than the sum of its parts.

15 minute dinner
Sometimes it can take over an hour to cook dinner, only for it to be gobbled up in 3 minutes flat – it’s so disheartening. But not with this creamy garlic mushroom tagliatelle – it can be on your table in just 15 minutes!
I love quick meals like this – the sauce cooks in the time the pasta’s boiling, so everything comes together without any fuss.

Garlic mushrooms
The recipe starts by frying up some garlicky mushrooms.
There’s no better smell in the world than mushrooms frying with garlic and butter!
You want to cook them until they’re starting to turn slightly golden – it adds such a lovely flavour.
Then, just add some cream cheese and a dash of milk to create that glossy, silky sauce, along with some grated parmesan.

Is parmesan cheese vegetarian?
In the EU, ‘parmesan’ is actually a protected term, and all real parmesan cheese is made with animal rennet. Therefore, parmesan cheese is unfortunately not vegetarian.
However, it’s really easy to find a vegetarian version – in the UK, it’s often called something generic like ‘Italian hard cheese’, and it’s pretty much identical as far as I can tell, just without the animal rennet.
Bonus – it’s usually much cheaper too!
I believe other countries don’t have the same restrictions over the use of the word ‘parmesan’, so you may be able to find vegetarian cheese labelled as parmesan. Either way, just make sure you double check the label if you’d like to make sure your cheese is vegetarian!

Fresh tagliatelle
Finally, just add the cooked pasta, and you’re done!
I used fresh tagliatelle, which cooks in about 5 minutes. You can use dried tagliatelle instead if you prefer – it will just take a few extra minutes to cook.
Or, of course, any other shape of pasta works just fine too! I don’t discriminate.

Perfect date night dinner
I love cooking a meal like this creamy garlic mushroom tagliatelle for date nights with my husband. It doesn’t take long to cook, so there’s plenty of time to relax afterwards with a glass of white wine.
Plus, since it’s so simple to make, you can both help in the kitchen without getting too irritated with each other.
(or is that just us?)

Creamy garlic mushroom tagliatelle
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 250 g (~ 9 oz) mushrooms, sliced (I used chestnut mushrooms)
- 250 g (~ 9 oz) fresh tagliatelle
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp heaped full fat cream cheese
- 75 ml (~ 1/4 cup) milk
- 50 g vegetarian parmesan-style cheese, finely grated (~ 1/3 cup when grated)
- Salt
- Black pepper
- Few sprigs fresh parsley, finely chopped
Instructions
- Heat a dash of oil in a frying pan, and add the sliced mushrooms. Cook over a medium heat for 5 minutes, until fairly soft.
- While the mushrooms are cooking, boil the tagliatelle in plenty of water until cooked al dente – it usually only takes a few minutes, especially if you’re using fresh tagliatelle. Dried tagliatelle will take a few extra minutes.
- When the mushrooms are fairly soft, add the garlic and the butter. Cook for a few more minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the mushrooms have started to turn golden brown.
- Lower the heat, and add the cream cheese, milk, and grated cheese. Add a generous pinch of salt and pepper, as well as the chopped parsley. Cook gently for a few minutes, until the cheese melts to create a smooth, glossy sauce.
- When the sauce is hot, add the cooked tagliatelle, and toss to coat. You can add a dash more milk if the sauce seems too thick. Serve immediately topped with more parsley and grated parmesan.
Note: Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on exactly what ingredients you choose. Information above is for 1/2 the recipe.
Love mushrooms? My mushroom bourguignon is another really easy mushroom recipe!

Hannah
Monday 7th of March 2022
This is absolutely delicious and so quick to make! Thank you!
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Monday 14th of March 2022
Thanks Hannah, glad you enjoyed it! :)
Heather
Sunday 18th of July 2021
Loved it! Doubling the recipe next time!
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Thursday 29th of July 2021
Great to hear, thanks Heather :)
Michael
Wednesday 12th of May 2021
Cooking tonight for the first time
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Thursday 13th of May 2021
Hope you enjoyed it :)
Christine loy
Friday 26th of March 2021
Hi, can I use ready made packet mushroom sauce.
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Tuesday 13th of April 2021
Absolutely! It's already a super simple recipe but there's no reason you couldn't add an extra packet of mushroom sauce along with the sautéed mushrooms.
tony Birkett
Tuesday 28th of April 2020
Tried this recipe,last week, fantastic added garlic cream cheese as i love garlic. 😀😀😀😀😀
Becca @ Easy Cheesy Vegetarian
Tuesday 28th of April 2020
Fab, thank you! :)