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One-Pot Creamy Pan-Seared Mushroom & Sage Rigatoni

One-Pot Creamy Pan-Seared Mushroom & Sage Rigatoni is a rich, single-pot pasta dinner with deeply caramelized mushrooms and a velvety Parmesan garlic cream sauce. Rigatoni simmers tender in broth and cream, then gets finished with melted cream cheese and Parmesan for a smooth, clingy texture.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Italian
Calories: 820
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Rigatoni and dairy base
  • 12 oz rigatoni pasta
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 0.5 cup whole milk
  • 0.5 lb cremini mushrooms Use thick slices so they brown instead of steam.
  • 1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 oz cream cheese Soften for faster melting.
Mushrooms and aromatics
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp unsalted butter
  • 16 oz cremini mushrooms
  • 4 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 1 small shallot Finely diced.
  • 8 fresh sage leaves Chopped, with extra for frying if desired.
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Seasonings and finishing
  • 3 cup low-sodium vegetable broth
  • 0.5 tsp kosher salt
  • 0.5 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 0.25 tsp crushed red pepper flakes Optional.
  • 2 cup baby spinach Optional.
  • 2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
  • 0.25 cup Extra Parmesan for serving Serve as desired.

Equipment

  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Sear the mushrooms
  1. Heat the olive oil and butter in a large Dutch oven or deep skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the mushrooms in a single layer and cook undisturbed for 4–5 minutes until deeply browned, then stir and continue cooking for another 4 minutes until caramelized.
Build the flavor
  1. Add the shallot, garlic, sage, and thyme and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Simmer the pasta
  1. Stir in the rigatoni, vegetable broth, heavy cream, milk, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes.
  2. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to medium-low; cover and simmer for 12–14 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.
Make it creamy
  1. Stir in the cream cheese until fully melted.
  2. Add the Parmesan cheese and stir until the sauce becomes smooth and creamy.
Finish and thicken
  1. Fold in the spinach, if using, and cook for 1–2 minutes until wilted.
  2. Remove from the heat and let the pasta rest for 2–3 minutes to thicken.
  3. Garnish with chopped parsley, extra Parmesan, and a few crispy fried sage leaves before serving.

Notes

For the deepest mushroom browning, keep the slices thick and avoid stirring for the first 4–5 minutes so moisture can evaporate. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days; reheat gently with a splash of broth or milk to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the cream can separate. For a dairy-light swap, replace heavy cream and whole milk with a cooking cream alternative and use a dairy-free cream cheese; Parmesan flavor will be best with a vegetarian parm substitute.