Creamy Mushroom Spinach Pasta (Printer-friendly)

Oven-baked pasta with mushrooms, spinach, and a rich creamy sauce topped with melted cheese.

# What You’ll Need:

→ Pasta

01 - 10.5 oz penne or rigatoni

→ Vegetables

02 - 9 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
03 - 5 oz fresh spinach, washed
04 - 1 medium onion, finely chopped
05 - 2 cloves garlic, minced

→ Sauce

06 - 2 tbsp unsalted butter
07 - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
08 - 1 2/3 cups whole milk
09 - 1/2 cup heavy cream
10 - 1 tsp Dijon mustard
11 - 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
12 - Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

→ Cheese

13 - 3 oz grated Parmesan cheese, divided
14 - 4 oz shredded mozzarella cheese

→ Garnish (optional)

15 - Chopped fresh parsley

# How to Make It:

01 - Preheat oven to 400°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.
02 - Boil pasta in salted water until just al dente. Drain and set aside.
03 - In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tbsp butter. Add onion and mushrooms; cook 6–8 minutes until mushrooms are golden and onions are soft. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
04 - Add spinach to the skillet and cook until just wilted. Remove vegetable mixture from pan and set aside.
05 - In the same skillet, melt remaining 1 tbsp butter. Stir in flour and cook for 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk and cream, stirring constantly. Simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 3–4 minutes.
06 - Stir in Dijon mustard, nutmeg, half the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper.
07 - In a large bowl, mix cooked pasta, mushroom-spinach mixture, and sauce. Fold in half the mozzarella cheese.
08 - Transfer mixture to prepared baking dish. Top evenly with remaining mozzarella and Parmesan.
09 - Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden and bubbly. Let cool for 5 minutes, then garnish with parsley if desired. Serve hot.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • It comes together in under an hour and actually tastes like you fussed over it for days.
  • The creamy sauce clings to every piece of pasta in a way that feels genuinely luxurious without any pretense.
  • It's vegetarian but so satisfying that nobody notices or cares what's missing.
02 -
  • Cold cream and hot milk together can break the sauce if you're not whisking—add the liquid gradually and whisk like your life depends on it.
  • If your sauce looks thin after cooking, it will thicken more in the oven; if it looks thick, it's probably perfect.
  • Don't skip the 5-minute rest after baking—it lets everything set and makes serving so much cleaner.
03 -
  • Make this bake a few hours ahead, refrigerate it unbaked, then pop it in the oven when you're ready—the flavors meld even better overnight.
  • If the top browns too quickly before the center heats through, loosely tent it with foil for the last 10 minutes of baking.

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