Looking for healthy vegetarian Italian? Try this Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni!

Here it is: this creamy mushroom rigatoni recipe starts off with a combination of cremini and shiitake mushrooms for a healthy, robust, Italian-inspired vegetarian meal your whole family will love!

When you need dinner quick on those busy weeknights or when you have last-minute guests coming: pasta to the rescue! Pasta is delicious, plain and simple: think olive oil, garlic, Parmesan, and some herbs; add different mushrooms, and you have a guaranteed crowd pleaser!

That’s all it takes: adding mushrooms to this pasta recipe makes for a meal that is cause for celebration. Plus it’s a perfect way to show off what a great “home chef” you are. This recipe was inspired by my love of pasta, one of my top restaurant “luxury” meals, but I’ve made it easy for the home cook.

Pasta prep can be fast and easy!

Rich and creamy, this vegetarian pasta is full of robust flavors. It can be on your table in less than 30 minutes, but your family and friends will think it took hours.

This recipe calls for ingredients you probably already have on hand: butter, garlic, cream, spinach, and mushrooms. Together, they create a creamy, saucy Italian-style dinner.I don’t drink alcohol, so I give you options in all of my recipes to use wine or stock; use whatever fits your lifestyle and taste. In some recipes I do use wine; I’m okay with that, but if you’re not, use stock.

When cooking pasta, salt the water before bringing the water to a boil. The water should be boiling rapidly before dropping in the pasta. I used rigatoni in this recipe, but you can use any shape or flavor pasta you like. You can even use gluten-free pasta, as well as any combination of mushrooms.

It’s easier if the pasta water pan is on the back burner and the sauté pan on the front one. I like this 8-quart stock pot for pasta and soups.

Use a large enough sauté pan when sautéing the mushrooms to insure they brown rather than boil…yuck! Mushrooms are like a sponge when it comes to soaking up water, so clean them by wiping them clean rather than washing them in water.

In the restaurant, we precooked our pasta halfway and ran it under cold water to stop the cooking process. When we had an order in, we put the pasta in a strainer, dropped it in boiling water, and it tasted like it was just cooked. You can use the same process at home; if you cook too much it stays fresh for one to two days.

The whole idea behind food and creating recipes is to experiment and have fun doing it. If you make this recipe, let me know your experience, comments, feedback; whatever you feel like talking about. That’s my favorite part! Don’t forget to tag me on Instagram.

Ingredients

serves 4

1 lbs. rigatoni
1 c. reserved pasta water
1/2 lbs. each cremini and shiitake mushrooms
4 c. chopped spinach
1 c. heavy whipping cream
2 tbsp. chopped garlic
1/2 c. chopped onion
1 tbsp. each chopped Italian parsley, basil, and thyme
1 c. vegetable stock or white wine
2 tbsp. each butter and olive oil
1 c. Parmesan cheese

Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions
Heat the butter and olive oil and sauté the mushrooms until they’re golden; season with salt and pepper
Add the onion and garlic, then sauté everything until opaque
De-glaze the pan with vegetable stock or white wine
Add heavy whipping cream and the reserved pasta water
Simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes
Add the spinach and herbs during the last five minutes
Drain the pasta and toss it in sauce
Finally, top with additional Italian parsley, then add salt and pepper to taste

Enjoy!