• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Salted Mint
  • Cookbooks
    • Meal Planner
  • Income
  • Shop
  • Frequently Asked Questions
menu icon
go to homepage
  • 30 Minutes
  • Pasta
  • Recipes
  • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • 30 Minutes
    • Pasta
    • Recipes
    • About
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » 30 Minutes

    Simple One Pot Lighter Healthier Creamy Mushroom Pasta

    Published: Mar 1, 2018 · Modified: Mar 5, 2023 by Debs · This post may contain affiliate links · 9 Comments

    • Share
    • Yummly
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Creamy Mushroom pasta with text overlay.

    This garlicky creamy mushroom pasta is a weeknight savior. It's restaurant style and quality but made with everyday ingredients and ready in 30 minutes. It's healthier and lighter than a regular cream sauce and it's packed with juicy, golden brown mushrooms and spinach.

    Bowl of creamy mushroom pasta with fork and napkin.

    This mushroom pasta would have been perfect for meatless Monday, but why wait for Monday. It's pasta after all. Everyone's favourite weeknight (& weekend) saviour. It's the "go-to", the "comfort food", the "quick and easy", of the dinner world. It doesn't matter what kind of mushrooms you use. All that matters is that you get them golden and brown.

    Chef's pro tip: To get mushrooms golden brown, start with a very hot pan. Add some vegetable oil (because of it's neutral flavour and high smoke point) and don't crowd the mushrooms. A single layer with lots of room to get those mushrooms nice and hot.

    And let's get real. Every creamy mushroom pasta starts one way and one way only. Garlicky. With onions and maybe some white wine if you're feeling fancy. I personally skipped the fancy in this recipe and kept it simple.

    • Mushrooms
    • Garlic & Shallot (onions are fine)
    • Cream
    • Spinach
    • Pasta

    Cream added to the pan for creamy mushroom pasta.

    Yep. That's simple. Because I want this recipe to get you to focus on the star of the show. Garlicky golden mushrooms. Creamy, silky sauce. Tangy, earthy spinach. That's where the beauty of this dish lies... In the simple everyday process and the basic-ness of the ingredients.

    Before we get going, it's REALLLLLYYY important to make sure that your mushrooms are clean. You can check out the best way to do that here.

    Creamy Mushroom Pasta Step By Step:

    Step 1.

    Brown the mushrooms. I cut the mushrooms into slices rather than quarters so that there's LOTS of surface area to get lots of colour. Mushrooms are full of umami flavour and when they hit heat and get golden brown, that flavour is turned up by a factor of A LOT!

    I wanted to keep this pasta lower on calories, so I skipped the butter and used oil only. But if you're feeling wild, use some butter too!

    Pan of mushrooms frying for creamy mushroom pasta.

    Step 2.

    Add the aromatics to the hot pan. Because onions are so high in water, you can add them to the pan with some salt and turn the heat down. As the moisture comes out of the onions, it will deglaze the pan at the same time. Be sure to mix and move the onions and scrape up all the brown bits left from the mushrooms. Add garlic, thyme and salt.

    Pan of onions being cooked for mushroom pasta.

    Step 3.

    Add the stock and let it all reduce for about 5 minutes. Wilt the spinach in the stock and add the mushrooms back in.

    Step 4.

    Add the single cream. This is how we're saving big on fat and calories. BUT!!!!!! This is where you need to pay attention. You do not want the sauce to boil at all after you add the single cream. Otherwise it will split. The higher the fat content in a cream, the more stable it is. So, double cream and whipping cream can be added to hot sauces and boiled without issue.

    Cream Added to creamy mushroom sauce

    A single cream, or light cream, and sour cream are more delicate and lower in fat, so they can be exposed to heat, just don't get them boiling or they will split. There is a wealth of information about dairy and how they are best used here.

     

    Thanks so much for being here! I'd love it if you left a rating and a comment letting me know how much you loved any of these recipes. Follow along on Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook for the latest!

    Bowl of creamy mushroom pasta with fork and napkin.

    Simple One Pot Lighter Healthier Creamy Mushroom Pasta

    This creamy mushroom pasta has the silkiest garlic cream sauce. This is a simple pasta recipe made with everyday basic ingredients. With spinach, garlic and onions this mushroom pasta is healthier and lighter than a traditional cream pasta. Ready in 30 minutes. Vegetarian.
    5 from 4 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 4 Servings
    Calories: 577kcal
    Author: Debs

    Ingredients

    • 1 pound chestnut mushrooms sliced
    • 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
    • 2 shallots or 1 onion diced
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 3 sprigs thyme leaves picked
    • 1 ½ cups vegetable broth
    • 1 cup single cream
    • 2 cups packed spinach
    • 4 cups pasta cooked according to package directions

    Instructions

    • Pour the oil into a medium skillet over a high heat. Once the oil is hot add the sliced mushrooms in a single layer over the bottom of the pan, taking care not to crowd them. Cook for about 3 minutes, or until the mushrooms are brown. Turn them over and brown the other side. Once the mushrooms are golden, remove them to a plate or bowl and set aside while you finish the sauce.
    • Turn the heat down to medium and add the onions or shallots. Use a tablespoon more oil if needed. Season the shallots and as the moisture starts to release from the onions, scrape up any brown bits from the mushrooms. Add the garlic and thyme and sauté for a further 2 minutes.
    • Add the vegetable stock the pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the stock for about 5-7 minutes, until the amount has reduced by about ¼. Add the spinach and turn the heat off. Leave to cool for about 5 minutes. Gently add the single cream and whisk into the sauce. Add the mushrooms back into the pan and give a final stir.

    To finish the creamy mushroom pasta:

    • Add 4 cups of cooked pasta to the sauce and mix together, coating all the noodles. Plate into 4 bowls and top with grated parmesan cheese and chopped parsley if desired.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 577kcal | Carbohydrates: 57g | Protein: 34g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 12g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 648mg | Potassium: 910mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 585IU | Vitamin C: 5.8mg | Calcium: 82mg | Iron: 2.6mg
    have you made this recipe? I'd love to see it! Tag me @salted_mint or use #saltedmint!

    More recipes you may enjoy

    • Potato and cheese puff pastry tart.
      Easy Potato & Cheese Puff Pastry Tart
    • Seared rib-eye steak with creamy mushroom sauce.
      Pan Seared Steak And Mushrooms
    • Asparagus risotto on a white table.
      Creamy Mushroom Asparagus Risotto
    • Peach sangria in a glass with raspberries.
      Sparkling Champagne Sangria With Peaches

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Aimee says

      March 01, 2018 at 1:26 pm

      I’m all about the “lighter” recipes and I know this is one I’d love as well as my kids. Plus it’s weeknight perfec!!

      Reply
      • Debs says

        March 02, 2018 at 5:07 pm

        Thanks so much Aimee!

        Reply
    2. Christina says

      March 05, 2018 at 10:06 pm

      Perfect comfort food! Just what I need to get me through another snowy week!

      Reply
    3. Nancy Buchanan says

      March 05, 2018 at 10:42 pm

      Truly one of my favorite types of pasta dishes - and your tips on sauteing the mushrooms is spot on!

      Reply
    4. Albert Bevia says

      March 06, 2018 at 6:55 pm

      Great tip on searing the mushrooms, this pasta looks truly incredible, and yeah pasta dishes are always the saviour of every household!!! great recipe

      Reply
    5. Mary Ann | The Beach House Kitchen says

      March 06, 2018 at 7:28 pm

      I can't wait to make this for my husband Tom! He's going to LOVE it!

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hi, I'm Debs! A Cordon Bleu graduate with more than 10 years of restaurant cooking experience. I now focus on helping you create easy, delicious and healthy(ish) comfort food recipes from scratch. Welcome to my virtual kitchen!

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Spinach and ricotta stuffed shells in tomato sauce.
      Easy Spinach & Ricotta Stuffed Shells
    • Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies on a tray.
      Cardamom Chocolate Chip Cookies
    • Healthier mushroom pasta with parsley and parmesan.
      Simple One Pot Lighter Healthier Creamy Mushroom Pasta
    • Italian Lamb Meatballs in a bowl with red wine.
      Easy Italian Lamb Meatballs (Oven)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • FAQ's
    • About

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Recipes

    • Slow Cooker
    • 30 Minutes

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2023 SALTED MINT