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Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Pasta with Spinach

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Creamy balsamic mushroom pasta with spinach is an easy vegetarian pasta recipe made with bowtie (farfalle) pasta, and buttery caramelized onions.

A large white bowl filled with farfalle pasta with spinach and mushrooms. It's tossed in a balsamic cream sauce.

Why is pasta so darn good?  Especially creamy pasta with lots of cheese…oh yes please, load it on!

This creamy balsamic mushroom pasta is made with spinach and caramelized onions. 

It’s creamy, cheesy and super flavorful.

Keep this creamy pasta vegetarian or add chicken or shrimp if that’s your jam.

The caramelized onions and mushrooms take a little bit of time so this dish may not be quick, but it’s easy and well worth the wait for those buttery, golden caramelized onions and almost crispy mushrooms.

After the onions and mushrooms are done, a quick balsamic cream sauce is made and everything gets tossed with the pasta, grated Parmesan cheese and fresh spinach.

Like I said before, creamy pasta + cheese=a total love match.

Tips for making perfect caramelized onions & mushrooms:

  • You’ll want to stir the onions occasionally (maybe every 5 minutes or so).  Stirring too often won’t give them time to get golden and stirring not often enough won’t make them evenly caramelized.
  • Keep the heat on medium-low.  Caramelized onions should be cooked low and slow for best results!
  • The mushrooms release quite a bit of moisture so instead of rinsing under water, gently rub the excess dirt off with a clean kitchen towel.
  • The last couple minutes of cooking, turn the heat up to medium-high and let the mushrooms cook until the edges are crispy.
  • You can certainly make the caramelized onions and mushrooms ahead of time (up to 2 days in advance left wrapped at room temp).
A stainless steel saute pan with caramelized mushrooms and onions with a wooden spoon scooping them up. The mushrooms are a deep brown and slightly crispy on the edges

How to make balsamic cream sauce for pasta:

  1. Once mushrooms and onions are caramelized and golden, add thyme, garlic and balsamic.  Cook 5 minutes until the balsamic is reduced almost by half.
  2. Slowly stir in cream and simmer for additional 4-5 minutes.
  3. Add cream sauce to cooked pasta along with fresh spinach.  Let sit 2 minutes, then stir until spinach is wilted.  Add in Parmesan cheese and reserved pasta water as needed.

Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Pasta with Spinach variations:

  • Add in shrimp (or chicken) with the balsamic vinegar, thyme and garlic.  Simmer, flipping shrimp over after 3 minutes, until fully cooked and pink.
  • Cook steak tips and serve over the pasta
  • Add broccoli florets instead of spinach
A large saucepan with bowtie pasta in a creamy balsamic sauce with mushrooms and spinach. There's a wooden spoon taking a scoop of the pasta out of the pan.

For more family dinner recipes try:

A large white bowl filled with farfalle pasta with spinach and mushrooms. It's tossed in a balsamic cream sauce.
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5 from 2 votes

Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Pasta with Spinach

Creamy balsamic mushroom pasta with spinach is an easy vegetarian pasta recipe made with bowtie (farfalle) pasta, and buttery caramelized onions.
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine American
Keyword creamypasta, easyfamilydinner, pastarecipes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 50 minutes
Total Time 1 hour 5 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 462kcal
Author Wine a Little Cook A Lot

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp of butter divided
  • 2 yellow onions sliced thinly
  • 16 ounces mushrooms sliced (see recipe notes)
  • salt to taste
  • 1 tsp sugar
  • 1 lb Farfalle pasta or any type of pasta
  • 1 tsp dried thyme
  • 3 cloves garlic minced
  • 3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 1 cup heavy cream or half & half
  • 2 cups spinach
  • ½ cup parmesan cheese plus more for serving
  • Pepper to taste

Instructions

  • Melt 3 tbsp butter over medium-low heat in large sauce pan. Add sliced onions, mushrooms, pinch of salt and sugar. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 30 minutes, or until onions and mushrooms are golden brown and caramelized. (Once the onions and mushrooms are golden, I turn the heat to medium-high for 3-4 minutes to get them deeply browned and almost crispy)
  • Meanwhile, in a large pot of salted water, cook pasta according to package directions until "al dente", reserving 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain and set aside.
  • Once onions and mushrooms are caramelized, add thyme, garlic and balsamic vinegar. Stir and cook 4-5 minutes until balsamic is reduced to almost half.
  • Stir in cream, and simmer for 4-5 minutes.
  • Turn off heat. Add in cooked pasta, spinach and parmesan cheese. Stir until spinach is wilted. Add ¼ cup of the reserved pasta water at a time, adding more if needed to achive a creamy consistency.
  • Serve immediately with extra Parmesan cheese if desired.

Notes

*Clean mushrooms with damp dish towel or paper towel to keep them as dry as possible.  The dryer they are, the better they will caramelize.
Nutrition Facts
Creamy Balsamic Mushroom Pasta with Spinach
Amount Per Serving (386 g)
Calories 462 Calories from Fat 220
% Daily Value*
Fat 24.42g38%
Saturated Fat 14.09g88%
Trans Fat 0.58g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1.68g
Monounsaturated Fat 6.47g
Cholesterol 110mg37%
Sodium 504mg22%
Potassium 653mg19%
Carbohydrates 46.16g15%
Fiber 4.3g18%
Sugar 13.34g15%
Protein 15.9g32%
Vitamin A 2177IU44%
Vitamin C 8.5mg10%
Calcium 225mg23%
Iron 2.89mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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