Spinach Mushroom Pasta (With Bow-Ties/Farfalle)
This was absolutely delicious! I used whole wheat pasta to make it healthier. I will definitely be making this again and again… Highly recommend! Angie
This versatile spinach mushroom pasta is a quick, hearty vegetarian weeknight meal. Cheesy, creamy pasta mixed with healthy fresh mushrooms and spinach (or other veggies of your choice).
What to expect
The recipe does require a few steps, but they are quite easy and the whole thing takes under 40 minutes. It’s a perfect prep ahead recipe.
We are using a basic white cheese sauce which you can flavor with your favorite seasonings, aromatics, and cheeses. Choose to lighten it up or make it rich and luxurious by adjusting the type of milk/cream and cheese you use. The lower-calorie version is still yummy.
Nutrition-wise, this baked pasta dish is pretty good. It does have saturated fat from the cheese and carbs from the pasta, but it also has a good amount of protein, vitamin A, calcium, and potassium.
Ingredients – tailored to your taste
Ingredients: baby pasta, spinach, mushrooms, onions, flour, milk/cream, cheese (I use two kinds), herbs).
- Pasta: I like to use mini farfalle or bow ties, but any small pasta will work e.g. baby penne, small shells (orecchiette), orzo, and macaroni.
- Mushrooms: use what you like – white button, cremini, shitake, brown, baby bella mushrooms, etc.
- Sauce: Use any combination and fat content of milk, half and half or heavy cream. I use 2% milk with a splash of half-and-half cream for extra richness.
- Cheese: Try different combinations of cheeses you love e.g. Gruyere, Monterey Jack, White, Fontina, Provolone, Cheddar, Swiss, Parmesan.
- Herbs: Use whatever herbs you like best. I like thyme.
Variations and Substitutions
- For a gluten-free version of this mushroom spinach pasta, use gluten-free pasta. Here are the best tasting gluten free pastas according to an Epicurious article based on Amazon ratings. They are made with corn, quinoa or rice.
- For a dairy-free version, use plant-based alternatives like almond milk or oat milk and dairy-free cheese.
- Vegetable variations:
- Instead of fresh baby spinach, use frozen spinach, kale, cooked broccoli or cooked cauliflower.
- Add red peppers instead of (or in addition to) mushrooms. Just sauté them with the onions.
- Add tomato slices on top of the pasta casserole before baking.
- You can also add red pepper flakes for a bit of heat.
Step by step instructions
Shortcuts
- Buy pre-shredded cheeses, sliced mushrooms and pre-washed fresh baby spinach.
What to serve with spinach and mushroom pasta
As a main dish: Serve this delicious pasta dish with a simple side salad or a healthy soup such as homemade creamy tomato soup, hearty ratatouille soup, or curried sweet potato soup.
As a side dish: It also makes a great vegetarian side dish for roasted salmon stuffed with herbs, crispy baked fish or lemon butter herb baked trout.
More vegetarian pasta dishes
- fresh vegetable pasta
- Mediterranean pasta
- angel hair pasta with squash and kale
- easy gnocci au gratin
Please leave a 5 star rating ***** with a comment in the recipe card below if you like the recipe, Thanks so much!
Spinach Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 2 cups baby bow tie pasta, Note 1 (about 8 ounces)
Mushroom Spinach Cheese Sauce
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1/2 tablespoon olive oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 tablespoon flour
- 1/2 onion, chopped (about 1 cup/50g)
- 8 ounce fresh mushrooms, sliced (about 2 1/2 cups), Note 2
- 1 clove garlic, minced (1 teaspoon minced or 1/8 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or Italian seasoning)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 1/2 cups milk 1/4 cup (59ml) of this can be half and half cream for richness)
- 1 1/4 cups grated white cheese, divided, Note 3
- 3 cups fresh baby spinach, Note 4
Garnish
- 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Instructions
- PREHEAT OVEN: to 4OOF/204C
- BOIL BOW TIES: Boil bow tie pasta in a large pot of water (add 2 teaspoons salt to water) according to package instructions. Cook pasta to al dente (or softer if preferred). Drain and set aside.
- SAUTÉ MUSHROOMS AND AROMATICS: Heat oil and butter in large skillet or saucepan on medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and onions. Sauté for 5 minutes until translucent and water from mushrooms is evaporated. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds.
- MAKE SAUCE: Reduce heat to medium heat. Stir in flour and cook for 2 minutes, stirring. Add milk (and cream if using), thyme, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 3-4 minutes until you have a slightly thickened creamy sauce. Stir in 1 cup of cheese and all the fresh spinach until spinach is wilted – about 1 minute.
- ASSEMBLE: Add bow ties and mix to combine. Pour into a 7-8 inch (18-20 cm) square or round oven proof dish. Top with remaining 1/4 cup (30 grams) white cheese, Parmesan and parsley.
- BAKE for 10-15 minutes or until cheese browns on top. Alternatively, bake 7 minutes and broil for 3 minutes to brown the top, watching that it doesn't burn.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Pasta – instead of bowtie pasta, try macaroni, penne pasta, orecchiette (shells), orzo, farfalle pasta.
- Mushrooms – Choose the kind you like. Great choices are white button, cremini, shitake or a combination.
- White cheese options – Gruyere, Fontina, Emmental, Monterey Jack, Provolone, White Cheddar.
- Fresh spinach substitutes:
- You can use frozen spinach instead of fresh (about 4 ounces). Drop it into the boiling water along with the pasta, then drain with the pasta. Alternatively, thaw, squeeze out water and add at the end.
- Try kale instead of baby spinach. Or cooked broccoli or cauliflower
- Make Ahead: Complete the mushroom spinach pasta casserole and don’t bake. Cover and place in fridge for up to two days. Bake when needed for about 20-25 minutes or until top is nicely browned.
Nutrition
This was absolutely delicious! I used whole wheat pasta to make it healthier. I will definitely be making this again and again. I am going to sautee some wild caught shrimp tonight to have with it tonight to add some protein. Highly recommend!
Great idea to add the shrimp. Glad you liked it!
I doubled the recipe and made it in my Lodge cast iron 9 x 13 pan. Added 20 ounces of frozen spinach, whole wheat Penne, more cheese, and 1% milk, using heavy cream instead of half and half and a bit more of it. I figured I could ground turkey if I wanted meat in it but I am trying to eat more vegetables. Delicious. Boyfriend approved.
Happy to hear the pasta was boyfriend approved 🙂 And thanks for sharing your tweaks Tina.
Can you add cooked chicken to this and bake it
I think that would be absolutely fine Liza. Stir in the cooked cubed chicken before you transfer it to a baking dish, then bake as per the recipe. You might also want to add a touch more milk to loosen it up since the chicken will absorb some liquid. I hope that helps. I’d love to know if it turns out well 🙂
I believe you switched the prep time (7min) with the bake time (30)
Hi Lewis. The total cooking time is about 30 minutes with the veggie sauté, boiling the noodles, making the sauce and baking. You can cut the baking time down a bit by baking for 7 minutes and broiling for 3 minutes. The prep just involves cutting mushrooms, grating cheese and gathering ingredients. Hope that clarifies the timing. And more importantly, I hope you like the pasta!
Enjoyed the flavours and textures of this recipe
Glad to hear Valerie. Thanks so much for stopping by to leave a comment.
We made this and liked it very much….can leftovers be frozen?
Thank you for your great recipes!
Absolutely. Freeze it in an sealed container or freezer bag. Reheat, covered, in a 350F oven for 15-20 minutes. Or in the microwave for a minute or two. I’ll have to add this the recipe. Thanks for asking.
Made this with Penne and used Monterey Jack with jalapenos embedded within it. I also used Shitake, and a white onion (skipped the garlic due to local preferences of one family member). Lots of fresh thyme as well as black pepper. It was lovely; the whole thing disappeared at one sitting. I guess I should make a bit more next time! Easy to prepare, put in the ‘fridge and then put on the table for a comfy winter dinner the whole family enjoyed. BRAVO!
Peter, thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment. You used some great variations. Glad the family enjoyed it.