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Easy and Creamy Pasta Dinner!

Who loves a 20 minute meal? This vegetarian meal will fill you up and leave you craving more for lunch the next day! The simple ingredients make this dish quick to make in a pinch of time. I love pasta shells for the little cup that holds the sauce and chunks of mushroom and spinach. With only a few simple and wholesome ingredients you will bring all the family and friends to the table with this meal. It is one to make for your weekly rotation for SURE! Enjoy my friends…

If you are curious why I picked pasta shells for this recipe look at the diagram “what pasta shape for my sauce” on THIS POST.

bowls of creamy pasta

Why this Meal Hits the Spot…

It was a Saturday evening and after attending games all morning and running errands all afternoon we were HANGRY! I mean, hungry. I needed a quick meal and one the kids would gobble up as they were already running in circles chanting “pasta! pasta! pasta!” around the living room. Anyone else have children that do this? Just me? Okay. I needed to go to the store since it was the end of the week, but I had a few odds and ends left:

  • heavy cream
  • spinach
  • onion
  • sliced mushrooms
  • fresh basil from my plant that keep on giving

That’s when I remembered this simple meal my mamma used to make. I don’t think she had a recipe but it went something like this and I channeled in the flavors and went to work on this recipe. A simple sauté of onions in olive oil followed by spinach and mushrooms a sprinkle of salt and peeper, then smothered in fresh cream and parmigiano, and finally, toss in the hot pasta and stir until a creamy cheesy pasta dinner is ready for the table!

Luckily, this meal saved the HANGRY, and we all lived happily ever after…until the children realized there wasn’t any ice cream in the freezer or Nutella in the cupboard. Well, I almost succeeded as a mother that day.

plate of creamy mushroom and spinach pasta shells on serving platter

I could eat bowls, and bowls, and bowls (you get the idea) of this creamy mushroom and spinach pasta recipe…

Made with Amore, Elena

bowl of creamy pasta shells with mushroom and spinach

Mangia! Mangia! (Eat!)

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plate of creamy mushroom and spinach pasta shells on serving platter

Creamy Spinach and Mushroom Pasta Shells

  • Author: Elena
  • Prep Time: 5 min
  • Cook Time: 15 min
  • Total Time: 20 minutes
  • Yield: 4–6 servings 1x
  • Category: Savory
  • Method: Italian
  • Cuisine: Italian
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Description

Who loves a 20 minute meal? This vegetarian meal will fill you up and leave you craving more for lunch the next day! The simple ingredients make this dish quick to make in a pinch of time. I love pasta shells for the little cup that holds the sauce and chunks of mushroom and spinach. With only a few simple and wholesome ingredients you will bring all the family and friends to the table with this meal. It is one to make for your weekly rotation for SURE! Enjoy my friends…

Ingredients

Scale
  • 8 oz (226 grams) mushrooms, sliced (any variety) 
  • 1 cup spinach (fresh or frozen)
  • 1/2 Cup onion, diced
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 1/2 cups fresh heavy cream
  • 1 cup freshly grated parmigiano cheese (extra for garnish) 
  • 1 lb (454 grams) pasta shells (or pasta of choice)
  • Salt and Pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a large pot bring 6 quarts of water to a boil. Add dd 3 tablespoons of salt to season water.
  2. In a large skillet pan over medium heat add olive oil and onion. Cook until translucent about 5 minutes. Add spinach and mushrooms and cook until soft, an additional 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Turn heat to low and add cream and parmigiano stir and combine. Heat on low for an additional 2-3 minutes. Turn off heat. 
  3.  Add pasta to boiling water and cook until al dente (see package directions for exact time). Drain pasta. Toss hot pasta with ingredients in skillet. Mix until well combined. Transfer to a serving dish or serve directly in skillet. Add extra parmigiano on top, if desired. 

Keywords: pasta, mushrooms, spinach, cream, herbs, easy dinner, lunch, 20 minute recipe, easy meal, Italian recipe, vegetarian, pasta recipe