Mushroom Spinach Pasta

This mushroom spinach pasta recipe features meaty mushrooms, fresh spinach, aromatic garlic, and a splash of white wine for complex flavor. Use your favorite short pasta and customize it by adding protein, seasonal vegetables, etc. It's an easy and satisfying pasta dish that's both vegetarian and vegan, making it perfect for a busy weeknight.

I could eat pasta every night of the week. Give me a rotation of pasta primavera, pesto pasta, and pasta with garlic butter sauce, and you'll never hear a complaint from me.

But this new pasta recipe is perfect for when you want a flavor-packed bowl of pasta that's also light and healthy. I've been making a version of this with spinach, mushrooms, and tomatoes for many years, but I decided to swap the tomatoes here for shallots and white wine, making it just a tiny bit fancier, but with no added effort.

Jump to:

• ⭐ Why This Vegetarian/Vegan Pasta is the Best
• 🧄 Ingredient Notes
• 📝 Variations & Substitutions
• 🔪 How to Make Mushroom Spinach Pasta
• 👩‍🍳 Expert Tips
• 🍽️ How to Serve Spinach Mushroom Pasta
• 🍝 More Pasta Recipes
• Mushroom Spinach Pasta Recipe

⭐ Why This Vegetarian/Vegan Pasta is the Best

• Quick & easy pasta dish that's ready in 30 minutes
• Meaty mushrooms, fresh spinach, rich olive oil, and aromatic garlic all combine to make this flavorful and healthy weeknight dinner that's naturally vegetarian and vegan/dairy-free.
• Customizable recipe - add your favorite protein, add more veggies, or add a sprinkle of cheese!
• Makes for easy leftovers

🧄 Ingredient Notes

• Crimini mushrooms - Use a dry paper towel to wipe off any dirt on the mushrooms before slicing them.
• Garlic - Use fresh garlic or jarred garlic
• Italian seasoning - If you don't have this on hand, you can easily make your own Italian blend.
• Farfalle pasta - You can use any short pasta for this recipe.
• Dry white wine - Adds fresh acidity that balances out the richness of the olive oil and adds complex flavor.
• Fresh baby spinach - Rinse and pat dry spinach before using it. You can also use frozen spinach (10 ounces).

📝 Variations & Substitutions

• Make it cheesy: This pasta dish doesn't need any cheese, but if you insist on adding it, I recommend adding ¼ cup of shredded Parmesan cheese. If you want to keep it dairy-free/vegan, add ¼ cup of nutritional yeast to get that cheesy flavor.
• Make gluten-free: Use your favorite brand of gluten free pasta to make it gluten free.
• Greens. If you're not a fan of spinach, you can substitute your favorite leafy greens, like kale or Swiss chard.
• Add protein. If you want to amp up the amount of protein in this dish, add 1 cup of your favorite protein, like tofu, chickpeas, or white beans.

🔪 How to Make Mushroom Spinach Pasta

*See recipe card below for printable instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water (I add around 1 tablespoon of salt) to a boil.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, salt, and pepper, and cook until the shallots have softened, about 5 minutes. Give the shallots a good stir once or twice.

Add the mushrooms to the pan, and cook for 5-7 minutes, until they have softened. Stir in the garlic and Italian seasoning, and cook for an additional minute.

While the mushrooms cook, add your pasta to the boiling water and cook according to (al dente) package instructions. After pasta is cooked, set aside ½ cup of pasta water and drain the pasta.

Increase the skillet heat to medium-high and de-glaze your pan by pouring in the white wine. Use a wooden spoon to stir in the wine and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook for 2 minutes. Add fresh spinach to the pan, and cook just until the leaves are wilted, 2-3 minutes.

Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss with ingredients. Add pasta water, ¼ cup at a time, and continue stirring (the pasta water will get absorbed, and will help the sauce stick to your pasta noodles). Add fresh parsley and red pepper flakes; serve immediately. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

👩‍🍳 Expert Tips

• Storage Instructions: Place leftover pasta in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
• How to reheat: Place leftovers in a medium skillet with 1-2 tablespoons of water, and heat on medium-low for 5-8 minutes, until heated through.
• Salt your pasta water. As the water is absorbed into the noodles, the salt is absorbed along with it, giving it flavor. Therefore, be generous with the salt!
• Reserve pasta water. Be sure to reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining. It contains starch, which helps to thicken the sauce and ensures that it sticks to the pasta.
• Cook pasta al dente. Avoid overcooked, mushy pasta by cooking your pasta according to al dente package instructions. It should be firm-tender and chewy when you bite into it.

🍽️ How to Serve Spinach Mushroom Pasta

• Pair it with a delicious side salad, like fennel salad or apple cucumber salad.
• Accompany your pasta with more vegetables, like asparagus, broccoli, or my roasted green beans and carrots.
• Serve your pasta as a creamy side dish to salmon, chicken, or shrimp.
• Pair it with Italian focaccia for a hearty meal.

🍝 More Pasta Recipes

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