I’m really into Low FODMAP mushroom recipes at the moment. In the past, I had written off mushrooms as being too hard to incorporate into low FODMAP dishes. Most varieties of mushrooms have tiny FODMAP thresholds, which makes them tricky to work with. With the help of oyster mushrooms, though, we cracked the code with low FODMAP mushroom risotto and we’re doing it again with this low FODMAP creamy mushroom pasta.
Low FODMAP creamy mushroom pasta
This pasta dish uses a simple mix of ingredients to achieve a delicious low FODMAP pasta. First, mushrooms are cooked in either garlic infused ghee or truffle oil. We add a good pinch of salt to encourage them to release their own juices. Once they’re cooked through and golden, the mushrooms are deglazed with a small amount of white wine. This adds flavour complexity in the absence of garlic or onion.
Next, the mushrooms are combined with lactose free cream and freshly grated parmesan. The sauce cooks over a low heat to allow the flavours come together.
Finally, cooked gluten free spaghetti is tossed through the sauce to create a creamy and delicious dish. Reserved pasta water adds starch and glossiness and helps the sauce stick to the pasta. Et voila! A delicious low FODMAP creamy mushroom pasta.
This dish is low FODMAP in the right quantity, gluten free and vegetarian with the right parmesan.
FODMAP notes
- This pasta uses gluten free pasta to keep the fructan content down.
- The mushroom component consists of 10-15g fresh shiitake mushroom. Shiitake mushrooms are low FODMAP in 11g serves, and contain moderate amounts of mannitol in 17g serves. If you are no longer in the elimination phase, you can adjust this content within these parameters (or further) as works for your personal limits. Shiitake contribute the bulk of the traditional mushroom flavour in this dish.
- Oyster mushrooms are low FODMAP in 75g serves per person. Monash doesn’t specify an upper limit for these mushrooms. These contribute the bulk of the mushroom texture.
- White wine is low FODMAP in 150ml serves. Monash doesn’t specify an upper limit. See the notes in the recipe for a substitution option if you would prefer not to use wine.
- Lactose free full cream is used for the creamy element of the pasta.
- Parmesan finishes off our pasta. It is extremely low lactose and thus low FODMAP in serves of up to 500g per person.
- One thing to keep in mind is that high fat foods have an impact on gut motility. This is a rich dish, so something to keep in mind.
How many people does this low FODMAP mushroom pasta serve?
This section is not one of those space filling answers, I promise. This needs to be discussed in the FODMAP context, because the mushrooms are balanced to equate to a low FODMAP serve per person.
This dish is designed to serve 4. The mushroom content is spread between 4 people to produce the most mushroomy pasta within a FODMAP threshold.
In practical terms, this recipe makes 3 really large servings of pasta or 4 medium serves. For my own appetite, I’d probably serve the pasta with a salad or a dessert to serve 4. You might be different. You can also use the upper threshold of pasta (350g instead of 300g, which is what I used). There’s no limit to how much pasta you could add, but it will start to dilute the flavour of the sauce.
I will say that there is no upper limit specified for oyster mushrooms on the Monash FODMAP app. If you’re no longer on the elimination phase of the diet, you can experiment with a serve of oyster mushrooms that doesn’t give you symptoms.
Tips for this low FODMAP creamy mushroom pasta
- Have a read of the ‘how many people does this serve’ section. if you’re serving 4 hungry low FODMAPPers, I recommend serving this with a salad.
- Choose a brand of gluten free spaghetti you trust. I have had some terrible experiences in my time with gloopy starchy messes. The brand I used for these photos was Cucina Matese. I love Green Olive Organics spaghetti and I’d recommend it if you are looking for a corn free, low starchy flour or starchy flour free pasta.
- If you are catering to vegetarians, be sure to choose a vegetarian parmesan (yes, it does exist, even if it shouldn’t). I have written a list of the vegetarian cheeses available in Australia here.
- You can add some asafoetida powder for an extra flavour hit, if you have some.
- Store bought packets of pre-grated parmesan contain filler that prevents them from melting properly. Please please please grate your own parmesan (or buy a tub of freshly grated parmesan from a deli) for this dish.
Flavour addition suggestions
I would have loved to add some fresh thyme to this low FODMAP creamy mushroom pasta for a new layer of flavour. It’s delicious as is, but that’s probably what I would add if I wanted to use a herb.
The recipe has different options for the fat (ie: garlic infused ghee or truffle oil). Which of these options you choose depends on what you have, but also on which flavour you’d prefer to emphasise. If you want a garlic hit in a low FODMAP dish, the garlic infused ghee is for you. If your emphasis is on mushroom flavour, use truffle oil.
Good truffle oil isn’t the cheapest, but a little goes a long way. I bought a small bottle of black truffle oil for $14 (AUD) and only used 1-2 tablespoons-ish for this dish. It really emphasises the mushroom flavour and makes the dish feel very luxe. You can also use regular oil to make the pasta, then finish each plate with a drizzle of truffle oil. I find infused oils are always best added at the end to get the most out of the flavour.
Substitution options
Plot twist: there aren’t many. This pasta dish has been designed to balance the FODMAP content of mushrooms which is a bit of a delicate balance. As such, it is difficult to adjust ingredients easily.
Unfortunately, cream and parmesan have no substitutions at this point. I’d love to develop a dairy free version of this recipe, but I daresay that would require an entire re-work of the dish. I find that dairy free versions of dairy products tend to work differently, so I would want to develop a special dairy free version. Watch this space.
As discussed above, you can use either garlic infused ghee or truffle oil depending on what you want to achieve. For a bit of garlic flavour, use garlic infused ghee. To go all in on mushroom umami, use truffle oil. I used black truffle oil, but I daresay either would work.
More low FODMAP and gluten free pasta recipes
- Easy low FODMAP pasta
- Low FODMAP vegan lasagne
- Gluten free potato gnocchi without xanthan gum
- Low FODMAP tomato mascarpone pasta
- Low FODMAP Nomato sauce
Low FODMAP creamy mushroom pasta
Ingredients
- 300-350 g gluten free spaghetti
- 60 ml (3 tablespoons)* garlic infused ghee or oil (ghee recipe is linked in notes)
- 40-60 g fresh shiitake mushroom chopped into small bite sized pieces
- 300 g Oyster mushrooms chopped into small bite sized pieces
- 125 ml (1/2 cup)* white wine (see notes)
- 300 ml lactose free full cream
- 75-100 g+ freshly and finely grated parmesan vegetarian if needed, see body of post
- Fine salt to taste
- Freshly cracked pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of well salted water to the boil.
- Place a skillet over a medium heat and add the ghee or oil. Once thoroughly heated, add the mushrooms with a good pinch of salt. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until the mushrooms are lightly golden.
- Once your pasta water is boiling, add the pasta and cook as per packet instructions.
- When the mushrooms are cooked, deglaze the pan with the white wine. Allow it to cook off, then turn the heat to low. Add the cream and parmesan and cook gently to allow all the flavours to combine. Taste and add salt and pepper as you see fit. You can also add a squeeze of lemon juice or a splash of white vinegar to add another layer of flavour.
- Once the pasta is cooked, reserve a cup of pasta water and drain the pasta. Place the pasta in the creamy mushroom sauce and toss to coat. Leave it for a minute or so, then assess. If the sauce isn’t creamy enough, add some pasta water to reach your desired consistency. If you accidentally add too much pasta water, leave the pasta to sit for 10 or so minutes and it should rectify itself. If not, add a little extra parmesan.
- Serve the dish with extra parmesan and a drizzle of truffle oil to amp up the low FODMAP mushroom flavour.
Notes
- See the body of the post for tips and tricks, extensive FODMAP notes and serving suggestions.
- If you don’t want to use wine, you can use low FODMAP stock (vegetable if you’re catering to vegetarians) or water and a splash of lemon juice or vinegar. It won’t add the same layer of flavour, but it works in a pinch. You could also experiment with adding a teaspoon of miso paste dissolved in the water for some extra umami.
- You can find my garlic infused ghee recipe here.
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