Mushroom Spinach Pasta tossed in a super flavorful, creamy Parmesan sauce. This meatless pasta is prepared on the stovetop in just 30 minutes for an easy weeknight meal.
Like our Gnocchi with White Beans and Spinach and Spinach Parmesan Tortellini Bake, this is another meatless pasta recipe the whole family will love!
When I make a meatless meal and hear my family making yummy noises, I can’t help but do a little happy dance. There is so much comfort and flavor in this mushroom pasta that it has completely won them over. It’s an easy recipe to turn to on a busy day and once you taste it, you’ll be so glad that you did!
Why You’ll Love this Recipe
- It’s ready from start to finish in 30 minutes.
- Eliminating meat makes it a healthy, budget-friendly meal.
- It will appeal people of all ages, meat-eaters and vegetarians alike!
- Pasta dishes reheat well, making the leftovers great for meal prep.
Ingredients
- Pasta – I used farfalle, also known as bowtie pasta. Penne would also work very well. You can easily make it gluten free by using gluten-free pasta.
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Butter – Just a little butter for flavor.
- Diced yellow onion
- Minced garlic
- Sliced cremini mushrooms – Mushrooms do a great job of replacing meat in this recipe. Cremini mushrooms can sometimes be sold as baby bella mushrooms.
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Low-sodium vegetable broth
- Parmesan cheese – I like to use both shredded and shaved Parmesan cheese in recipes like this. Garnishing pasta with shavings of Parmesan makes it really stand out. Substitute a vegetarian, plant-based hard cheese to make this a vegetarian-friendly meal.
- Half and half – For a richer result you can substitute heavy cream.
- Italian seasoning
- Smoked paprika
- Crushed red pepper flakes – Add a small amount for a little zing or add more for a spicy pasta. I serve it with more on the side for spicy pasta lovers here.
- Fresh baby spinach
How to Make Mushroom Spinach Pasta
This is brief overview of how to make this recipe. Please see the recipe card below for the ingredient amounts and full instructions.
- Heat the olive oil and butter in deep, large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and slightly browned.
- Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté until they’ve released their liquid (there will be a lot of liquid in the pot). Sauté over medium-high heat until most of the liquid has cooked off and the mushrooms are lightly browned.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the vegetable broth. Reduce heat to medium-low and add the cream, shredded parmesan, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until combined. Let the sauce simmer for about 1 minute.
- Add the cooked and drained pasta and toss to combine. Add the spinach and toss the spinach with the warm cooked pasta until wilted. Garnish with a little additional shredded or shaved Parmesan.
The pasta should be cooked in a large pot of salted water until al dente while you are preparing the mushrooms and sauce.
Storage and Reheating Tips
Transfer any Mushroom Spinach Pasta leftovers to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly. For the best quality, use the leftovers within 3 to 5 days.
Reheat as much pasta as you need in a skillet on the stove over low heat, adding a splash of water, broth, or half and half to loosen up the sauce, if needed. Pasta also reheats well in a covered microwave-safe dish using a microwave ovens reheat setting. Cook it in increments, stirring in between, until warmed through.
More Easy Dinner Recipes Using Mushrooms
- Portobello Mushroom Fajitas
- Ground Pork Stir Fry with Zucchini and Mushrooms
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps
- Turkey Meatloaf with BBQ Glaze
- Cheesy Turkey Meatballs
Mushroom Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 10 ounces farfalle (bowtie pasta), about 4 cups (regular or gluten-free)
- salt for pasta water, as needed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 16 ounces cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth
- ¾ cup shredded parmesan cheese, or a vegetarian, plant-based hard cheese, divided (plus additional for serving)
- ½ cup half and half or heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 5 ounces fresh baby spinach
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in salted water until al dente, according to the package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Heat olive oil and butter in a Dutch oven over MEDIUM heat. Add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until translucent and slightly browned. Add the garlic and mushrooms and sauté for about 3 minutes until the mushrooms have released their liquid (there will be a lot of liquid in the pot). Increase the heat to MEDIUM-HIGH and continue to sauté for an additional 3 to 4 minutes, or until most of the liquid has cooked off and the mushrooms are lightly browned.
- Season with salt and pepper and add the vegetable broth. Reduce the heat to MEDIUM-LOW and add the cream, ½ cup shredded parmesan, Italian seasoning, smoked paprika, red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring until combined. Let the sauce simmer for about 1 minute.
- Add the drained pasta and toss to combine. Add the spinach and toss the spinach with the warm pasta until wilted. Add the remaining Parmesan and remove from the heat.
- Serve with extra red pepper flakes and Parmesan on the side.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated using generic ingredients, and is an estimate not a guarantee. For more accurate results, please refer to the labels on your ingredients at home. All information provided regarding nutrition on this website is intended to be used for informational purposes only. Content related to nutrition is not medical advice nor is it intended to replace medical advice. The website is not intended to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease, condition, illness, or injury. Before beginning any diet program, modifying your diet, or making changes to the diet of a child in your care, including following the nutrition information available on the website, you should seek advice from a licensed professional.
I just made this recipe and it was awesome! The whole family loved it! Easy & delicious!! Would make this again!❤️
Why does no one understand that Parmesan cheese is NOT vegetarian. If a cheese contains RENNET (which is an enzyme taken from the stomachs of calf’s and goats during slaughter) which is typically in hard cheeses it is not vegetarian. Please stop listing recipes with Parmesan or other hard cheese as vegetarian. Please look up the ingredients and find the cheeses that use plant based enzymes to process the cheese if you are vegetarian.
Hi Jennifer. If with a simple substitution a recipe falls within a dietary category, we’ll typically include it. This meatless recipe qualifies as vegetarian by substituting a vegetarian, plant-based hard cheese. I’ve updated the recipe card to indicate the appropriate substitution. I appreciate your comment.
This was so easy to make and everyone liked it. I’ll make this again, and maybe add some chicken, yum!
Can u substitute regular white mushrooms in this dish?
Sure!
This was a delicious recipe. My only suggestion would be to not use the cheese until it is on your plate.