This creamy, spinach and mushroom pasta is perfect cosy comfort food. It's really tasty and satisfying, quick and easy to make, great for a tasty weeknight dinner.
This spinach and mushroom dish comes together fairly quickly, it's ready in about 30 minutes so is perfect for an easy weeknight dinner. It's creamy, indulgent and packed with mushrooms and spinach. The creamy, cheesy sauce is smooth and garlicky. Perfect for mushroom lovers, this pasta dish is everything you want in a cosy pasta dinner. I use chestnut mushrooms for this as they have more flavour, but you could add in some wild mushrooms too. Linguine is my favourite pasta for this recipe but tagliatelle or pappardelle work really well too.
How to Make Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Pasta
- Start by cooking the shallots in olive oil, then add the butter and the mushrooms. Add the mushrooms to the pan in batches. Cook them until they are soft and a lovely brown colour.
- Next, stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for a minute. Then pour in the cream slowly. Once all the cream is added stir in the cheese.
- Now add the spinach, again add this is batches too. The spinach will wilt quickly so as soon as one batch has wilted slightly add the next.
- Finally, add the pasta to the sauce. Gently toss it then when the pasta is covered in the cream sauce add the toasted pinenuts. Serve immediately with some chopped parsley and some grated veggie parmesan cheese.
Tips for Making your Best Creamy Spinach Mushroom Pasta
- Shallots - Finely chop the shallots so that they will cook quickly but be careful not to cook them until they are too brown. They should be soft, if they are too brown they will colour the sauce.
- Mushrooms - I use chestnut/ brown mushrooms for this pasta. They have more flavour than white button mushrooms. I have made this with a mixture of chestnut mushrooms and wild mushrooms and that works really well too. You may need to cook wild mushrooms longer though.
- Cream - Double/heavy cream will give you the best results for this pasta dish. It will give you a lovely rich sauce with plenty of it too.
- Cheese - I use vegetarian parmesan cheese for this. The cheese needs to melt well, so take that into consideration when choosing your cheese. If you're not vegetarian then regular parmesan or Pecorino works very well.
- Pasta - Linguine is my favourite pasta for this recipe it is just the right size to soak up some of that creamy sauce. I have made this with tagliatelle, pappardelle and penne too and all of those work really well too.
- Serving - This pasta dish really is best served immediately. I serve it with a garnish of finely chopped parsley, some cracked black pepper and a little grating of vegetarian parmesan cheese.
Making Ahead and Storing
This spinach and mushroom pasta dish really is best made fresh and served straight away. However, if you do have any leftover you can store it in the fridge for a day and reheat it on the hob. You may need to add a little more cream to it as the pasta may soak up the sauce. I don't recommend freezing this dish.
Looking for More Quick and Easy Weeknight Dinners?
- Mushroom Stir Fry with Broccoli
- Portobello Mushroom Sandwiches
- Creamy Mushroom Risotto
- Halloumi Burgers
- Red Pesto Pasta
Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Pasta
This creamy, spinach and mushroom pasta is perfect cosy comfort food. It's really tasty and satisfying, quick and easy to make, great for a tasty weeknight dinner.
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Servings: 4
Calories: 484kcal
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 3 large shallots finely chopped
- 4 + ⅔ cups chestnuts mushrooms (350g) wiped clean then sliced
- 2 teaspoon butter
- 1 heaped tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 3 cloves of garlic minced
- ⅔ cup double cream/heavy cream (150ml)
- ⅓ cup vegetarian parmesan cheese (30g) finely grated plus more for serving
- ¼ cup pine nuts (30g) toasted
- 1 cup baby spinach (100g)
- 7 oz (7oz) linguine (200g) (dry weight)
- ¼ teaspoon cracked black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- finely chopped flat-leaf parsley for serving
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saute pan, add the shallots and cook over a low to medium heat for about 5 minutes or until the shallots are soft.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil and add the pasta, cook until the pasta is almost cooked.
- Add the butter to the pan then add half the mushrooms. Cook over medium heat until the mushrooms release their juices. As soon as those mushrooms are cooked move them to one side of the pan then add the remaining mushrooms. Add the garlic and thyme and cook for another minute or two. Season with salt and pepper.
- Now slowly pour in the cream, let in bubble up then add about two tablespoons of water from the cooking pasta and stir well. This will help the sauce stick to the pasta. Next stir in the cheese. As soon as the cheese has melted turn off the heat.
- Now add in the spinach, add half first. Once it has wilted add the remaining spinach.Drain the pasta then add it to the sauce, tossing gently.Once the pasta is covered in the sauce add the toasted pinenuts.
- Serve immediately with a garnish of chopped parsley, some extra grated cheese and some freshly cracked black pepper.
Notes
- Nutritional Information - Is approximate and is calculated using an online nutrition tool. It does not include extra cheese for serving.
- Weight and Measurements - Cup sizes are also approximate, I weigh all my ingredients using a metric scale.
- Pasta - I use linguine for this recipe. I have tested this recipe with tagliatelle, pappardelle and penne and all work well too. Linguine worked the best though.
- Cream - Double cream will give you the best results for this dish.
- Cheese - Make sure you use a good vegetarian hard Italian cheese, it must melt well for the sauce to work.
- Mushrooms - I use chestnut mushrooms to make this as they have more flavour than button mushrooms. I have made this with a mixture of wild and chestnut mushrooms which worked well too. Depending on the wild mushrooms you choose they may take longer to cook.
- Can I freeze this dish? I don't recommend freezing this dish.
- Can I make this gluten-free? Yes, just swap the pasta for your favourite gluten-free pasta.
- How can I make this vegan? Please note that I have not tested this recipe to be vegan. However, if you swap the cream for a dairy free cream and use a vegan hard cheese you should get similar results. You will also need to swap the butter for a vegan butter.
Nutrition
Calories: 484kcal | Carbohydrates: 34.2g | Protein: 12.7g | Fat: 33.9g | Saturated Fat: 3.7g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 240mg | Potassium: 707mg | Fiber: 2.3g | Sugar: 0.6g | Calcium: 154mg | Iron: 3mg
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* This recipe was originally published on November 9, 2017. It has now been updated with new photos, new process photos, a step by step guide, expert tips and new nutritional information. The recipe has also been tweaked to make it even more delicious.
Margarida Falcao
I made this and I loved it! Didn't have pine nuts so had to leave that out and subbed thyme for sage and it works so well too 🙂
Michelle Alston
Hi Margarida, thank you so much! I'm so glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Hannah
This was yummy I used single cream but was delicious. Thanks! Xx
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much, Hannah. I'm so glad you liked it Xx
David Jenkins
14 cups of pine nuts? Are you serious?
Michelle Alston
Hi David, no that should have read 1/4 of a cup, there was also a clue in the 30g listed. But thanks for bringing it to my attention it's fixed now.
Chetna
excellent recipe!!
Herman
Looking delicious. Will cook it now.
Reeta
Hello looking to make this for dinner tonight. I don't have shallots, will normal onions do?
Michelle Alston
Hi Reeta, yes one small/medium onion will work fine 😉
Sarah
Can you make this in advance in the day and reheat before serving?
Michelle Alston
Hi Sarah, this really is best made fresh and eaten straight away. When I made it ahead I found the pasta really soaks up the sauce. You could make the sauce in advance, I wouldn't add the spinach though, I would add the spinach when I reheat the sauce and cook the pasta fresh. If you find that the sauce is a bit thick add a ladle of the water from the pasta to it. I hope this helps, M x
Carol Borchardt
Your photography is simply mouthwatering! I love a good vegetarian pasta dish and this is perfect for a weeknight. Going to put this one on the must-make list!
Michelle Alston
Oh thank you so much Carol, that's so kind of you to say! x I hope you enjoy the pasta 🙂
angiesrecipes
I love all the flavours and that cheesy creamy sauce sounds particularly tasty!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Angie 🙂
GUNJAN C Dudani
This simply looks irresistible. Its making me so hungry. I totally love the combination of mushroom, spinach and pasta.
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Gunjan, it's one of our favourites x
Kate
Wow this looks so delicious and professional, totally making it soon!!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Kate, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Danielle
This looks like fall pasta perfection! So hearty, tasty, and healthy!
Michelle Alston
Thanks so much Danielle x
Tonje
This is delicious! Love a good creamy mushroom sauce!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Tonje 🙂
Heidy L. McCallum
This pasta was so wonderful and creamy. The entire family loved the flavor and textures. I will definitely be making this pasta time and time again. Saving the recipe.
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Heidy, I'm so glad you all loved it so much x
Dannii
I love a creamy mushroom pasta dish. These photos are beautiful too.
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Dannii 🙂
Jillian
I love mushrooms in pasta! This looks simply divine!
Kristen R.
The photos really make this recipe come alive! I love creamy pastas, especially with papperdelle, and the combination of spinach, pine nuts, and mushroom just sounds fantastic. I can't wait to try it out for myself!
Michelle Alston
Thank you so much Kristen x I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Agness of Run Agness Run
This pasta recipe combined some unbelievably tasty and awesome ingredients, Michelle. I am definitely going to give it a try!
Michelle Alston
Thanks Agness, I hope you enjoy it 🙂
Amanda
Hibernating and mushrooms sounds perfect. Beautiful recipe. x
Michelle Alston
The perfect combination 😉 Thank you lovely x