Mushroom Spinach Pasta

Easy mushroom spinach pasta made with smoked streaky bacon, crimini mushrooms (chestnut mushrooms), penne pasta and a splash of cream. Ready in around 10 minutes this easy pasta recipe is full of flavour and perfect for getting dinner on the table on busy weeknights!

Quick pasta recipes are my saviour on weeknights. There are so many combinations, pasta shapes, sauces and ingredients you can add that I could eat pasta every night of the week and not get bored (although I'd have to fit in some gym time much more than I am now).

This mushroom spinach pasta is one of my favourites and it contains 3 combos you just can't go wrong with. Mushroom, spinach and smokey bacon (pancetta). I mean throw some crispy bacon on anything and it's gonna taste good, right?

I've started using thin strips of pancetta or smokey streaky bacon instead of pre-cubed pancetta you buy in little containers and I love it SO much more! It just has so much more flavour and I love having slightly larger crispy bits in my pasta than the little cubes that can turn a little tough when cooking.

What Mushrooms To Use?

For this recipe I used chestnut mushrooms also known as cremini or crimini mushrooms. I like to cut them in to very thin slices and I like quite a lot of them. Mushrooms are one of my favoruite things to add to pasta, you can go for porcini or champion if you'd like a stronger mushroom flavour.

Also a mixture or fresh thinly sliced mushrooms and dried porcini (re hydrated in water) would be delicious! To keep the cost down I went for these crimini mushrooms on offer at my supermarket.

How To Make Mushroom Spinach Pasta - Step By Step

First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions until al dente (around 8-10 minutes)

Meanwhile cut the streaky bacon into medium sized chunks and fry until brown and slightly crispy in a large pan, set aside on a plate.

Fry the thinly sliced mushrooms in the same pan the bacon was cooked in until they have softened and cooked down (photo 1-2).

Add the crispy bacon back into the pan with the cream, reserved pasta water and cook the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and chopped spinach, stir to combine and add a generous sprinkling of pepper and small pinch of salt (taste if needed first because the bacon can be quite salty) serve (photos 3-6).

Whaaat No Garlic?

Yup, this pasta dish is garlic free, it also has no onions or parmesan which are a regular occurrence in my recipes. The reason? well I forgot to add the garlic, I didn't think it needed onion and we didn't have any parmesan in the fridge for the first time ever (it's taking a lot longer to get organised with this house move than I planned).

BUT after face planting this big bowl of mushroom spinach pasta (twice) we both decided it didn't need anything else. No garlic or parmesan, nothing. I love it just the way it is.

Some Extra Tips For Making This Mushroom Spinach Pasta

• Remember to reserve pasta water before draining the pasta. This adds a lot of flavour and emulsifies the sauce.
•  Taste the pasta before adding more salt, bacon can add a lot of seasoning so it may not need it.
• Try adding a mixture of fresh thinly sliced mushrooms and dried porcini (re hydrated in water) for an extra flavour punch.
• Garlic would be a nice addition as would fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley or basil.
• Don't have penne pasta? This would work well with linguine and spaghetti too.
• Although I didn't add parmesan cheese it wouldn't go wrong in this recipe

More Delicious Pasta Recipes You Might Like;

• Herby Garlic Butter Pasta Sauce
• Easy Parmesan Pasta with Butter & Pepper
• Pasta With Green Beans, Tomatoes & Pesto
• Pasta With Puttanesca Sauce (Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca)
• Pasta Amatriciana – Bucatini, Tomato And Guanciale

If you’ve tried this Mushroom Spinach Pasta or any other recipe on the blog then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and PINTEREST to see more delicious food and what I’m getting up to.

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5 from 6 votes

Mushroom Spinach Pasta

Easy mushroom spinach pasta made with smoked streaky bacon, crimini mushrooms (chestnut mushrooms), penne pasta and a splash of cream. Ready in around 10 minutes this easy pasta recipe is full of flavour and perfect for getting dinner on the table on busy weeknights!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Cook Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 624kcal

Author Emily Kemp

Ingredients

• ▢ 3.5 oz (100g) Smoked pancetta/streaky bacon
• ▢ 8 medium (250g) Crimini Mushrooms , thinly sliced
• ▢ ½ cup (100ml) Cream
• ▢ 1 large handful (50g) Spinach
• ▢ 4 cups (400g) Penne Pasta
• ▢ ½ cup (125ml) Pasta water
• ▢ 1 pinch salt and pepper , to season

Instructions

• First, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to packet instructions until al dente (around 8-10 minutes)
• Meanwhile cut the streaky bacon into medium sized chunks and fry until brown and slightly crispy in a large pan, set aside on a plate.
• Fry the thinly sliced mushrooms in the same pan the bacon was cooked in until they have softened and cooked down.
• Add the crispy bacon back into the pan with the cream, reserved pasta water and cook the mixture for 2 minutes. Add the cooked pasta and chopped spinach, stir to combine and add a generous sprinkling of pepper and small pinch of salt (taste if needed first because the bacon can be quite salty) serve.

Notes

Tips 

• Remember to reserve pasta water before draining the pasta. This adds a lot of flavour and emulsifies the sauce.
•  Taste the pasta before adding more salt, bacon can add a lot of seasoning so it may not need it.
• Try adding a mixture of fresh thinly sliced mushrooms and dried porcini (re hydrated in water) for an extra flavour punch.
• Garlic would be a nice addition as would fresh herbs such as thyme, parsley or basil.
• Don't have penne pasta? This would work well with linguine and spaghetti too.
• Although I didn't add parmesan cheese it wouldn't go wrong in this recipe

Nutrition

Calories: 624kcal | Carbohydrates: 88g | Protein: 20g | Fat: 20g | Saturated Fat: 9g | Cholesterol: 50mg | Sodium: 195mg | Potassium: 677mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 1540IU | Vitamin C: 3.5mg | Calcium: 64mg | Iron: 2.2mg

Helpful Info for All Recipes

• I always use extra virgin olive oil in all of my recipes unless stated otherwise
• When I use canned or jarred tomatoes of any kind I always use Cirio or Mutti brands for the best results and flavour.
• All vegetables are medium sized unless stated otherwise
• All recipes are tested and developed using a fan (convection) oven
• Find out more about how nutrition is calculated.
• Check out our must have Italian Pantry Staples.
• You can also find all our Essential Kitchen Tools for Italian Cooking.

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