Orecchiette with mushrooms and spinach in a Parmesan cream sauce. It’s smooth, it has a hint of garlic and it tastes super delicious. Not to mention that it’s packed with sautéed mushrooms and tender spinach for just the right amount hit of green. Oh, and it all comes together in a flash. So, yes, it’s pretty much a sure thing it will be a repeat dinner favorite.
The best part of this pasta dish is that it comes together while we boil the orecchiette. We sauté the mushrooms with garlic, add spinach and finish it off with cream and Pecorino. This way we create a creamy rich vegetarian pasta dish where the meaty, earthy flavors of the mushrooms are the star.
Serve with a big side salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar for a real treat.
Let me guide you through the recipe with this step-by-step VIDEO.
RECIPE NOTES
- try brown mushrooms, or a mix of cremini with shiitake mushrooms
- swap pecorino for parmesan
- use any of your favorite pasta shapes
- use cream cheese instead of cream
Try These Next
- Parmesan Tagliatelle with Buttered Mushrooms
- Creamy Risotto with Balsamic Mushrooms
- Creamy Sausage and Mushroom Soup
Orecchiette with mushrooms and spinach
Ingredients
- 10.5 ounces orecchiette
- 14 ounces cremini mushrooms thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried thyme
- 3.5 ounces spinach
- ½ cup heavy cream
- ½ ounce grated Pecorino more for serving
- 1 tbsp salted butter optional
- freshly ground black pepper for serving
- crushed red pepper flakes for serving
Instructions
- Get all the prep done before you start cooking: mince the garlic and finely chop the shallot. Thinly slice the mushrooms.
- Cook the orecchiette in a large pot of generously salted boiling water, until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.
- In the meantime, heat a large nonstick skillet over high heat and add mushrooms. Cook until they release moisture, about 5 minutes. Stir frequently. Add olive oil and cook until the mushrooms start to brown. Add garlic and shallot, cook until soft and fragrant, about 3 minutes. Stir in salt, black pepper and thyme.
- Add spinach, stir until slightly wilted. Pour in cream, reduce heat to low and bring to a simmer. Stir in pecorino.
- Add butter and orecchiette, stir until butter is melted. Add ¼ cup cooking water and adjust salt to your own taste. Keep stirring until glossy. Finish off with freshly ground black pepper and red pepper flakes. Enjoy!
Video
Nutrition
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