Tastenexa
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Italian
Mushroom and Spinach Pasta
28 min total10 prep18 cook4 servings520 cal
VegetarianFlexitarianClassicContains glutenContains dairy
Deeply browned cremini mushrooms and wilted spinach in a light parmesan cream sauce coat every piece of penne. It's a comforting vegetarian pasta that comes together in the time it takes the water to boil and the sauce to reduce.
Ingredients
pantry
- 350 gpenne pasta
- 1 tbspolive oil
- 1 tspsalt
- 0.5 tspblack pepper
- 0.25 tspred pepper flakes
produce
- 300 gcremini mushrooms
- 150 gbaby spinach
- 4 clovesgarlic
dairy
- 200 mlheavy cream
- 60 gparmesan cheese
- 2 tbspbutter
Steps
- Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil and cook the penne according to package directions until al dente; reserve 1 cup pasta water before draining.
- While the pasta cooks, slice the cremini mushrooms and mince the garlic.
- Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add the mushrooms and cook 6–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned and any released liquid has evaporated.
- Add the garlic and cook 1 minute until fragrant.
- Pour in the heavy cream and bring to a gentle simmer, stirring, until it thickens slightly, about 3 minutes.
- Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, then add the baby spinach in batches, stirring until just wilted.
- Add the drained pasta to the skillet along with half the parmesan; toss to coat, adding splashes of reserved pasta water as needed to loosen the sauce.
- Season with salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes; taste and adjust.
- Divide among bowls and top with the remaining parmesan.
Tips
- Don't crowd the mushrooms — spread them out so they brown instead of steam.
- Salt the pasta water generously; it's your best chance to season the noodles themselves.
- Reserve pasta water before draining — a splash loosens the sauce without watering down the flavor.
- Add the spinach in batches so it wilts evenly instead of clumping.
