Inside: Recipe for delicious stuffed mushrooms with pesto and sundried tomatoes. It’s a festive green-themed party appetizer idea perfect for color parties or holidays like St. Patrick’s Day and Christmas.
These Italian-style stuffed mushrooms with pesto and sundried tomatoes are a great warm appetizer for dinner parties, festive holiday tables, and antipasto trays.
They are surprisingly easy to put together, yet pack a ton of bold Mediterranean flavors.
The beautiful green color comes from mixing basil pesto with ricotta, and you can make it darker or lighter as you please.
The recipe makes 16–18 smaller stuffed mushrooms that look super elegant and will look great on any party table.
Make sure to try this Chicken and Spinach Stuffed Mushrooms recipe, too!
How To Make These Italian-Style Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients You’ll Need For This Recipe
For the mushrooms:
- 6–18 small mushrooms
- 2 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 oz full-fat cream cheese
- 2–3 tablespoons basil pesto
- 4–5 sundried tomatoes in oil
For the topping:
- 1 teaspoon dried breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan
- ⅓ teaspoon dried garlic
- ⅓ teaspoon dried basil
Step-by-Step Guide
1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
2. Rinse the mushrooms under running water and allow them to dry completely on a towel.
3. Remove the stems from the caps and set them aside for another recipe.
4. Place the mushroom caps open-side down on a baking tray and bake for 7–10 minutes, until they begin to release water.
5. Remove the mushrooms from the oven and let them cool down completely. They will continue releasing moisture as they cool.
6. In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, cream cheese, and basil pesto until smooth and creamy.
Start with 2 tablespoons of pesto at first and add a little more if needed to achieve a vibrant green color and strong flavor.
7. Finely chop the sundried tomatoes and stir them into the pesto-cheese mixture. Mix until well combined.
8. In a separate small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan, dried garlic, and dried basil.
9. Pat the mushroom caps dry with a paper towel and put them on your serving tray.
10. Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each mushroom, starting with a small amount to first press into the base, then adding more to create a slightly rounded top.
11. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over each stuffed mushroom.
12. Return the mushrooms to the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the topping has turned golden brown.
13. Serve warm.
Important Recipe Notes
- How many mushrooms you get depends on how much filling you add to each one. I wanted mine to have a little height, so I got 16 mushrooms out of this recipe.
- I know some people clean their mushrooms by just wiping off the dirt with a small brush or paper towel, but I always rinse mine under running water to really get them clean. You just need to let them dry completely before baking, so you don’t add any excess moisture to the mushrooms.
- You can prebake the mushroom caps and prepare the filling the night before the party. Store both separately in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
- When making this recipe ahead, don’t fill the mushrooms or top them with breadcrumbs too early. The filling is soft and can make the mushrooms watery, and the topping needs to crisp up in the oven. Assembling them a few hours before serving is fine, but add the breadcrumbs right before baking.
- Skip adding salt to this recipe. The pesto, Parmesan, and sundried tomatoes already provide plenty of flavor, and adding more can make the filling overly salty.
- Pesto brands vary in intensity. Taste as you go and adjust until you get that bold, fresh basil flavor that is not too strong.
- These stuffed mushrooms taste best when served warm. If needed, reheat them for 5-7 minutes before serving.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It’s one of those recipes with a lot of bold flavors. The creamy basil pesto and sundried tomatoes make every bite super rich and vibrant.
- Although these come together very fast, the stuffed mushrooms look really cute and elegant, so they’re perfect for serving at parties.
- Because of their vibrant green color and bright sundried tomatoes peeking through, it’s an excellent appetizer for fancier events like Christmas and holiday parties. The green suits color-themed parties like Saint Patrick’s Day or green baby showers, too.
- I love that I can prepare at least half of the recipe the day before, and then just assemble the mushrooms and pop them in the oven right before the guests arrive.
- I also love that it’s a vegetarian-friendly appetizer that still tastes amazing. I always serve these for my vegetarian friends!
Italian-Style Stuffed Mushrooms With Pesto and Sundried Tomatoes
Ingredients
For the mushrooms:
- 16-18 small mushrooms
- 2 oz ricotta cheese
- 2 oz full-fat cream cheese
- 2-3 tablespoons basil pesto
- 4-5 sundried tomatoes in oil
For the topping:
- 1 teaspoon dried breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon grated Parmesan
- ⅓ teaspoon dried garlic
- ⅓ teaspoon dried basil
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375°F.
- Rinse the mushrooms under running water and allow them to dry completely on a towel.
- Remove the stems from the caps and set them aside for another recipe.
- Place the mushroom caps open-side down on a baking tray and bake for 7–10 minutes, until they begin to release water.
- Remove the mushrooms from the oven and let them cool down completely. They will continue releasing moisture as they cool.
- In a small bowl, mix together the ricotta, cream cheese, and basil pesto until smooth and creamy. Start with 2 tablespoons of pesto at first and add a little more if needed to achieve a vibrant green color and strong flavor.
- Finely chop the sundried tomatoes and stir them into the pesto-cheese mixture. Mix until well combined.
- In a separate small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs with grated Parmesan, dried garlic, and dried basil.
- Pat the mushroom caps dry with a paper towel and put them on your serving tray.
- Spoon about 1 tablespoon of the filling into each mushroom, starting with a small amount to first press into the base, then adding more to create a slightly rounded top.
- Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture over each stuffed mushroom.
- Return the mushrooms to the oven and bake for 10–12 minutes, until the mushrooms are tender and the topping has turned golden brown.
- Serve warm.
Recipe Notes
- How many mushrooms you get depends on how much filling you add to each one. I wanted mine to have a little height, so I got 16 mushrooms out of this recipe.
- I know some people clean their mushrooms by just wiping off the dirt with a small brush or paper towel, but I always rinse mine under running water to really get them clean. You just need to let them dry completely before baking, so you don’t add any excess moisture to the mushrooms.
- You can prebake the mushroom caps and prepare the filling the night before the party. Store both separately in the fridge until you’re ready to bake.
- When making this recipe ahead, don’t fill the mushrooms or top them with breadcrumbs too early. The filling is soft and can make the mushrooms watery, and the topping needs to crisp up in the oven. Assembling them a few hours before serving is fine, but add the breadcrumbs right before baking.
- Skip adding salt to this recipe. The pesto, Parmesan, and sundried tomatoes already provide plenty of flavor, and adding more can make the filling overly salty.
- Pesto brands vary in intensity. Taste as you go and adjust until you get that bold, fresh basil flavor that is not too strong.
- These stuffed mushrooms taste best when served warm. If needed, reheat them for 5-7 minutes before serving.
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