Name: Mushroom and Leek Alfredo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Italian-American
Ingredients: 400 g bronze-die fettuccine; 3 large leeks (600 g total), white + light green parts only; 500 g mixed wild mushrooms, sliced or torn; 80 g European-style salted butter, divided; 4 large garlic cloves, minced; 180 ml (¾ cup) dry white wine; 400 ml heavy cream; 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano, microplaned; 60 g aged Pecorino Romano, microplaned; 80 g Gruyère, shredded or microplaned; 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves; Zest of ½ lemon + 1 tsp juice; Sea salt & lots of freshly cracked black pepper; ¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley; Optional: white truffle oil

Bronze-die fettuccine is cloaked in a luscious Alfredo made with heavy cream, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pecorino, and Gruyère, enriched with sweet sautéed leeks, deeply browned mixed mushrooms, garlic, thyme, and white wine. Finished with cracked pepper and parsley, this is the creamiest, most elegant mushroom pasta you’ll ever make.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This is the Alfredo that ruins all other Alfredos. The leeks melt into sweet, silky ribbons, the mushrooms are nutty and golden, the sauce is so glossy it looks like liquid satin, and the three-cheese blend gives depth you can’t get from Parmesan alone. It’s ready in 25 real minutes, vegetarian, make-ahead friendly, and tastes like something from a white-tablecloth Italian restaurant. One bowl and you’ll be spooning sauce straight from the pan.

Yield: serves 4

Mushroom and Leek Alfredo

Velvety Alfredo with butter-sautéed leeks, golden wild mushrooms, white wine, three cheeses, and fettuccine – pure luxury in 25 minutes.

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 25 minutes

Additional Time 5 minutes

Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

400 g bronze-die fettuccine
3 large leeks (600 g total), white + light green parts only
500 g mixed wild mushrooms, sliced or torn
80 g European-style salted butter, divided
4 large garlic cloves, minced
180 ml (¾ cup) dry white wine
400 ml heavy cream
100 g Parmigiano Reggiano, microplaned
60 g aged Pecorino Romano, microplaned
80 g Gruyère, shredded or microplaned
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
Zest of ½ lemon + 1 tsp juice
Sea salt & lots of freshly cracked black pepper
¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Optional: white truffle oil

Instructions

Clean leeks perfectly: trim roots and dark greens. Halve lengthwise, slice 5 mm thick, place in large bowl of cold water. Swish vigorously, let grit sink, lift out. Repeat twice. Drain well.
Bring 6 quarts water to a rolling boil. Salt aggressively (3 tbsp).
Heat your widest sauté pan (14-inch) over medium-low. Add 50 g butter. When melted, add ALL leeks with a pinch of salt. Cook gently 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until completely soft and sweet (no color).
Increase heat to high. Add remaining 30 g butter + ALL mushrooms. Cook undisturbed 5 minutes until golden underneath. Toss, cook another 4–5 minutes until deeply browned. Add garlic + thyme in last 60 seconds.
Drop fettuccine into boiling water. Set timer for exactly 8 minutes.
Pour white wine into mushroom pan — dramatic sizzle! Scrape up every brown bit and reduce by two-thirds (2–3 minutes).
Remove pan from heat completely. Pour in cold cream and stir. Return to medium-low and simmer gently 2 minutes.
Reserve 2 full cups pasta water. Using tongs, transfer pasta directly into sauce (some water clinging is perfect). Add ¾ cup pasta water and ALL three cheeses in 4 stages while tossing vigorously off heat. Sauce will go from watery → creamy → glossy silk. Add more pasta water if needed.
Remove from heat again. Add lemon zest, juice, parsley, tons of cracked pepper, and one final 1 tsp raw butter. Toss gently. Let rest in warm pan 5 minutes — sauce thickens perfectly.
Twirl into warmed bowls, shower with extra Parmesan, more pepper, and a few drops of truffle oil if using. Serve immediately with chilled Pinot Grigio and zero conversation for the first two minutes.

Notes

Leeks must be perfectly cleaned — grit ruins everything

Use only heavy cream (38%+) — lower fat separates

Naturally vegetarian

Nutrition Information

Yield

Serving Size

1
Amount Per Serving Calories 473Total Fat 17gSaturated Fat 9gUnsaturated Fat 8gCholesterol 139mgSodium 419mgCarbohydrates 52gFiber 7gSugar 8gProtein 25g

The recipes and nutritional information on Fungi Recipes are for informational purposes only. Always consult a healthcare provider for personalized dietary advice.

Recipe Tips and Tricks

Clean leeks perfectly: slice, swish in cold water 3 times — zero grit allowed.
Cook leeks low and slow first — they must be meltingly soft before mushrooms go in.
Use three cheeses: Parm for salt, Pecorino for bite, Gruyère for nutty melt.
Reserve 2 full cups pasta water — starchy magic.
Add cream OFF heat first, then rewarm gently — prevents curdling.
Finish with raw butter + lemon zest AFTER cheese — restaurant gloss.
Microplane all cheeses — coarse grate breaks the sauce.

Ingredients Notes

Fettuccine: 400 g bronze-die (De Cecco, Garofalo, or Rummo) — ridges hold sauce
Leeks: 3 large (white + light green only) — sweet oniony depth
Mixed mushrooms: 500 g total — cremini, shiitake, oyster
Cheeses: 100 g Parmigiano Reggiano (24-month), 60 g Pecorino Romano, 80 g Gruyère
Heavy cream: 400 ml (38% fat minimum)
European butter: 80 g total