Mushroom Spinach Pasta
on Dec 04, 2024
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I love a fancy tasting pasta recipe that’s easy to make, and this mushroom spinach pasta is one that fits this exact description. Made with penne, I sauté the mushrooms with garlic and shallots and then add butter and fresh lemon juice. They both give just the right amount of flavor and silkiness to the noodles. The heat from the pan gently wilts the greens, and then I stir in lemon zest and lots of grated parmesan to finish it.
Table of Contents
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
This pasta is a quick weeknight recipe with big results. Perhaps effortless would be an exaggeration because you are making something from scratch, but you feel like it’s that much work to make this recipe. It is all about timing.
Fresh garlic, lemon and parmesan are a classic flavor combination—for good reason. As much as I adore tomato sauce and basil pesto, it doesn’t get any better than citrus in fall and winter pasta recipes when you need something bright and zesty.
Starchy pasta water, lemon juice and touch of butter work their magic to pull everything together. There is nothing complicated with this pasta recipe or the ingredient list. You’re just maximizing what you have to create an incredible vegetarian dinner recipe.
The Ingredients
This is what you need:
- Mushrooms: My preference are either baby bella mushrooms or cremini mushrooms. They have more interesting flavor than white button mushrooms. Brush off any dirt on them and then slice them. You can also buy mushrooms already sliced.
- Pasta: I like short shapes such as penne or orecchiette for this recipe, but you can change to a long shape like spaghetti or linguini.
- Baby spinach: The greens go in when the pasta is almost ready. The heat in the pan gently wilts the leaves. If you prefer something heartier, go ahead and substitute with chopped kale.
- Garlic: The recipe calls for 3 minced garlic cloves. If that sounds like a lot, don’t worry, it balances out with the rest of the ingredients.
- Shallots have a bit of garlic flavor along with a hint of sweetness. You can substitute with finely chopped red onions.
- Lemon: Nothing goes to waste in this recipe because you will need both the fresh lemon juice and the zest.
- Red pepper flakes, kosher salt & black pepper season the sautéed mushrooms and shallots.
- Parmesan: You can use this classic hard Italian cheese or try pecorino, which is a little more salty and pungent. Or you can use a mix of both.
- Olive oil: I sauté the mushrooms in extra virgin olive oil.
- Butter: Once the mushrooms finish cooking, I add butter and lemon juice to the pan. This gives the pasta richness to round out the flavors.
How To Make This Mushroom Spinach Pasta Recipe
1. Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water. Because the pasta will finish cooking in the pan with the mushrooms, simmer it 1 minute less than the recommended cook time on the package instructions for al dente noodles. Save a half cup of cooking water before draining the penne.
2. Sauté the sliced mushrooms. Warm a tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat in a big skillet or sauté pan. Give them 5 minutes until the mushrooms release their liquid and start to brown.
3. Add the aromatics. That includes the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper. Keep cooking for a few minutes until the mushrooms are caramelized and fragrant.
4. Stir in the butter and lemon juice. The butter will melt quickly, and the juice will sizzle and bubble with the mushrooms.
5. Fold in the cooked pasta and then the spinach and the reserved pasta water. Allow a couple minutes for the liquid to simmer. The pasta will quickly be dressed in a very light lemony sauce with the wilted spinach.
6. Stir in the lemon zest and grated parmesan cheese to finish the pasta.
Serving
Besides a sourdough or another bread with a good crust, you can serve this pasta with a salad. Try this restaurant house salad, a classic arugula salad with parmesan and lemon or an Italian chopped salad. If you want to go big on garlic, you can pair it with garlic bread.
Storage & Leftovers
This spinach mushroom pasta is best eaten right after you make it. If you do have leftovers, you can keep them in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. The longer the pasta sits the more it will soften. Reheat it in the microwave or in a skillet with a little oil. Once it is warm, then stir in more fresh spinach.
I also am a big fan of eating leftover pasta cold and turning it into pasta salad. Just add whatever leafy greens you have and toss in balsamic vinaigrette or another vinegar and oil-based dressing. I also add in freshly grated parmesan.
Recipe Tips
- Don’t overcook the pasta. Read the cook time on the package. You want to drain it a minute or so before it is ready. That’s because the penne will continue to cook as you combine it with the mushrooms and the rest of the ingredients. You don’t want mushy pasta.
- Use a pan large enough to hold the mushrooms and the pasta. A sauté pan is great because it has straight sides, but a big skillet will work too. Just be gentle when you stir the penne into the mushrooms.
- Do not use frozen spinach. Fresh baby spinach is best for this recipe. Frozen has too much water and starts out too soft, so you won’t get the right texture in the overall pasta dish.
- You can use gluten free pasta. Just be careful not to overcook it. I find gluten free pasta doesn’t have as much al dente bite as regular noodles.
- To make this pasta dish vegan, use plant-based, diary free substitutes for the butter and cheese. There are brands at the grocery that make vegan parmesan cheese and vegan butter.
More Easy Pasta Recipes
Chickpea Spinach Pasta
Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Pasta
Pesto Gnocchi with Sun-Dried Tomatoes
Lemon Kale Orzo
White Bean Pasta
Herby Pappardelle Pasta
Antipasto Spaghetti
Mushroom Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 8 ounces penne pasta
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 8 ounces baby bella or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 lemon lemon, juice and zest
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta 1 minute less than the recommended al dente cook time on the package. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta cooking water before draining.
- While the pasta is simmering, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat in a large skillet. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 5 minutes until the mushrooms start to brown.
- Add the shallots, garlic, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and continue cooking for a few minutes until the mushrooms are caramelized and fragrant.
- Add the butter and squeeze in the lemon juice. The mushrooms will bubble and steam as the butter melts.
- Stir the pasta into the mushrooms followed by the spinach and reserved cooking water. Let it simmer for a couple minutes while gently stirring. The pasta will end up dressed in a light lemony sauce and the spinach will quickly wilt.
- Fold in the lemon zest and parmesan.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
