Mushroom Spinach Pasta with Shallots
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This is my kind of pasta dinner — chunky mushrooms and spinach simmer with shallots, white wine, and butter to make a light, clingy sauce for pasta. Easy enough for Tuesday, but definitely weekend-worthy!
No complicated steps, no fancy ingredients, it’s just the kind of easy, throw-it-together dinner that somehow makes you feel like you’ve got it together. I love this combination so much that I created this baked version with rigatoni and spinach in a creamy ricotta sauce.
Karen’s ingredient notes:
- Shallots: Shallots are the key flavor builder here. They make this recipe stand out from the rest. Compared to onions, they become sweeter, more delicate and nuanced when they’re sautéed, which really plays up the umami flavors in mushrooms.
- Mushrooms: I prefer a balanced mix of mild white mushrooms and meatier portobellos — the combination adds an earthy, savory depth and texture that makes this mushroom pasta so good. I like to slice them about 1/2-inch thick so they brown evenly and stay nice and chunky. If you only have one type, no problem — just cook them long enough to draw out their moisture and concentrate the flavor.
- Greens: Spinach is my first choice, but baby kale, chard, or any tender leafy greens will melt right into the sauce. Sturdier greens (like mature kale or collards) can work too — just give them an extra minute or two to soften before tossing with the pasta. A mix of greens adds nice flavor contrast and beautiful color, especially if you use rainbow chard.
Mushroom Spinach Pasta with Shallots
Equipment
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup thinly sliced shallots, about 1 large or 2 medium
- Kosher salt
- 10 ounces (275 g) white button mushrooms, sliced into chunky pieces
- 8 ounces (225 g) portobello mushrooms, sliced into chunky pieces
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon crushed red chili (use less for milder heat)
- Freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 8 ounces (225 g) dried pappardelle or fettuccine pasta, or 1 pound fresh pasta
- ¼ cup (60 ml) rosé or dry white wine
- 3 tablespoons (45 g) butter, salted or unsalted
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 5 ounces (150 g) baby spinach leaves
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Place a large (12-inch) pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and shallots to the pan along with ½ teaspoon kosher salt. Cook until the shallots are softened, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms to the pan in one layer. Cook undisturbed for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with another pinch of salt. Stir them around with the shallots. Add the garlic, chili and black pepper and continue cooking 5 more minutes, or until they are softened and have released their juices.
- While the mushrooms cook, add the pasta to the boiling water and cook according to package directions. Note that fresh pasta will usually be done in 2-4 minutes and dried pasta in 10-12 minutes. Drain.
- Raise the heat under the mushrooms to medium-high and pour in the wine. Let it bubble and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the butter until it melts. Remove the pan from the heat and add ¼ cup cheese and spinach to the pan. Stir until the leaves are wilted.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss gently with the sauce. Serve in bowls with additional cheese sprinkled over the pasta. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy!
Karen’s Notes and Tips
- Instead of spinach, you can substitute an equal amount of tender baby kale, chard, or other hearty greens, torn into bite-size pieces.
- Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. You may want to add some stock and more olive oil when reheating because the pasta will absorb the sauce as it cools.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition facts are calculated by third-party software. If you have specific dietary needs, please refer to your favorite calculator.
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Creator of Familystyle Food
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I love this recipe, it’s one of my go to meal preps! One question… I never manage to get a “sauce” at the end, and it ends up more like a spinach and mushroom topping on dryish noodles, especially as leftovers. Any tips to make it more saucy? I’m not very good at cooking so it’s probably a me issue lol
Hi Laurel! It’s definitely not a “you” issue — pasta is sneaky that way, especially as leftovers. This recipe isn’t designed to be swimming in sauce — it’s more of a lightly dressed pasta where the mushrooms, spinach, shallots and Parmesan coat the noodles.
For a saucier feel when you first make it, save more pasta water than you think you’ll need and add a splash extra when you toss everything together. The starch in the water helps the olive oil, cheese and pan juices turn glossy. For leftovers, pasta keeps absorbing moisture in the fridge, so reheat it with some broth, plus a little olive oil or butter, and toss well until it loosens up again.
So happy you love the recipe and use it for meal prep!
Delicious and easy to make, I use spaghetti pasta instead and added sun dried tomatoes.
Oh yeah this was SO good! I made it as written with the pasta I had on hand (brown rice penne); it was easy to prep, quick to cook up and really decadent! I hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice and zest to serve. Thanks for posting – this one will be a go to for me!
Absolutely loved it. Both my husband and I.
Delicious! I’d double the sauce ingredients next time but otherwise wouldn’t change a thing.
Great recipe, i used a variety of mushrooms white,chestnut and shitaki. I also added more spinach. And I used smoked cheddar in conjunction with parmesan cheese.
That sounds delicious! The smoked cheddar is a great addition.
have cooked this many times, have added leftover cooked chicken as well
We loved it! I used spinach linguine and it was delicious!!
Delicious
This was delicious! Adding to my cookbook!
Absolutely fabulous with papadelle pasta. So easy and fun to make. Best when freshly made.
I absolutely love this recipe. It is one of the very best I’ve ever found online. It is simple and fun to make and especially good with the pappardelle pasta.
I enjoyed this recipe; I changed things just a but and made a lasagna instead. Made a cheese sauce, baked 45 min added another layer of three cheeses. Very good
An excellent recipe- delicious and so simple.