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Morel pasta with goat cheese sauce is creamy, earthy, and full of flavor. Rosemary-scented butter, a splash of wine, and tangy goat cheese come together in a silky sauce that clings to pasta. Fresh thyme, lemon, and sautéed leeks keep it light and bright, while pancetta and tender morels add depth and richness. It’s elegant enough for company but simple enough to make on a weeknight.
You can use store-bought pasta for this recipe, but if you’ve got time, my homemade einkorn pasta takes this morel pasta to another level.
Here’s Why This Morel Pasta Recipe Works
Balanced sauce: Goat cheese melts into a silky base that’s creamy without being heavy.
Layered flavor: Rosemary butter, white wine, and thyme add fragrance and complexity.
Bright finish: Lemon juice lifts the richness and keeps the flavors fresh.
Flexible enough for any night: Feels elegant for entertaining but comes together quickly on a weeknight.
If you end up with extra pasta, our fried spaghetti is a fun way to turn leftovers into a crispy, cheesy skillet meal.
Recipe Tips
Rinse morels briefly: Give them a quick swish in cold water to remove grit, then pat dry so they sear, not steam.
Cook leeks gently: Slice thin and sauté until silky-soft. Avoid high heat, which can make them stringy.
Use good dairy: Whole milk (or cream) provides the fat needed for a sauce that emulsifies and coats properly.
Mind the salt: Goat cheese and pancetta both add plenty of saltiness. Taste at the end before seasoning further.
Reserve pasta water: A splash loosens the sauce and helps it cling to the noodles.
Serve it hot: This sauce thickens as it cools, so toss and plate right away for the best texture.
Brighten at the finish: A squeeze of fresh lemon juice lifts the richness and ties everything together.
For another mushroom-forward dish, our lemon fennel and mushroom pasta brings the same earthy comfort with a bright, citrusy twist.
Goat Cheese and Morel Pasta
Morel pasta with goat cheese sauce is creamy, earthy, and a little bit elegant while still being easy to pull off at home.
Serve it hot with a squeeze of lemon and a glass of white wine, and you’ve got a dish worth savoring. All you need with this recipe is a salad (try our pea shoot salad) and crusty bread.
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Morel Mushroom Pasta with Goat Cheese
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Ingredients
- 12 ounces dry pasta, we used einkorn pasta
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 ounces pancetta, finely diced
- 2 shallots, finely diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
- 8 ounces morel mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cups leeks, sliced and rinsed in cold water
- 1 teaspoon Fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
For the Goat Cheese Sauce
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh rosemary
- 1½ cups whole milk
- ¼ cup dry white wine
- 8 ounces soft goat cheese
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the Rosemary-Goat Cheese Sauce:
- In a medium-size saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and stir in the rosemary until the butter just begins to brown. Add the white wine and milk, bring to a boil, reduce to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes, reducing in volume slightly. Stir in the goat cheese, simmer for an additional minute. Add salt and pepper to taste, remove from heat, cover and reserve.
- Bring a large saucepan of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook according to package directions, drain, cover and reserve.
- While the pasta water is heating, add the olive oil to a large skillet set over moderate heat and add the pancetta. Cook, stirring frequently until crisp. Remove and drain on a plate lined with paper towels. In the same skillet, add the shallots, garlic and morel mushrooms and cook just until softened. Add the sliced leeks, thyme and lemon juice and the reserved rosemary-goat cheese sauce and mix well.
- Transfer the pasta to a large serving dish and pour the mushroom cream sauce over the top, Toss to combine.
- Arrange the pasta on individual warmed plates and garnish with lemon wedges.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this recipe? Rate & comment below!
This would be a great introduction to morel mushrooms cause I have never cooked with them before. It looks SOO delicious! Thanks for sharing!!!
Hi, Imma… Morel mushrooms are wonderful, they are seasonal and I don’t know how long the season lasts but I hope you are able to get and try some. 🙂
This is seriously impressive. I love pasta and this one is so elegant and gorgeous. I bet it tastes absolutely amazing.
Oh, yes, Kim! I love morel mushrooms, they are a little pricey but once or twice during the season I will splurge on a few ounces of them. Thanks for the comments.
Your Einkorn Pasta with Morel Mushrooms looks amazing. I love Morel Mushrooms – they have such an amazing flavour. I was really interested to learn about Einkorn wheat – I had never heard of it before but I will look out for this pasta. It sounds really wholesome and tasty too.
Hello, April….I hope you find the pasta at your local stores, if not it is available online. The whole wheat version is really nice as well. Thanks for your comments. 🙂
I have never seen these mushrooms before but this pasta looks so good! Maybe I can substitute them with any other mushrooms?
Hi, Jovia..yes these mushrooms are unique and seasonal. A good sub would be small crimini mushrooms.
These mushrooms look so unique, very pretty dish. So delicious for any day:)
I don’t believe I’ve ever had einkorn pasta. I know I haven’t cooked with it! Need to find a source — sounds so interesting. Love morels, and they’re great in pasta (of any sort) aren’t they? Excellent looking dish — thanks.
Hi, John…You may find einkorn pasta and flours in your local health food store, it is also located with the pastas in Whole Foods Markets, and of course online . There is a definite taste difference between einkorn pasta and pastas made from semolina flour. The flavors in this pasta dish are amazing, especially with the morel mushrooms.