There’s something really special about the simplicity of pasta with butter, salt, and pepper. The creaminess of the butter and the little pops of salt and pepper sitting on the surface of the pasta, it’s simple goodness at its best. I love this combo so much that I’ve made several variations on that theme over the years. This week I added some sautéed mushrooms, garlic, spinach, and a few dollops of fresh ricotta for extra creaminess. This Mushroom and Spinach Pasta with Ricotta is still an incredibly simple and delicious pasta dish, perfect for those nights when you want something special, but not complicated. Pair it with a glass of white wine and you’ve got a really amazing dinner!
If you’re as in love with the simple combo of pasta, butter, salt, and pepper as I am, check out my other variations on this simple dish: Spicy Orecchiette with Sausage and Kale, Fresh Tomato Basil Pasta with Ricotta, Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta, or Bowties and Broccoli.
What Kind of Mushrooms Should I Use?
I’ve been really taking advantage of these Baby Bella mushrooms from ALDI that have been $1.69/8 oz. for a while, so that’s what I used. You can use regular white button mushrooms, if needed, or full sized portobello mushrooms. If you have access to something a bit fancier, like morels, by all means take advantage of that!
Can I Freeze the Leftovers?
I don’t suggest this pasta dish for freezing. The “sauce” is extremely light and will get absorbed into the pasta, leaving it dry. Even when reheating refrigerated leftovers, you may want to add a little extra butter to make up for what has absorbed into the pasta while it is in the refrigerator.
What Can I Substitute for Mushrooms?
This dish is all about the mushrooms. If you don’t like or are allergic to mushrooms, I suggest trying one of the other similar recipes linked above (just below the first photo).
What Can I substitute for Spinach?
You can either leave the spinach out, or try something like kale. If using kale, you’ll just need to sauté a bit longer to soften the kale (see Garlic Parmesan Kale Pasta).
What Can I substitute for Ricotta?
If you’re not a fan of ricotta, you can either leave it out, or add a generous amount of Parmesan to the pasta in its place.
Mushroom and Spinach Pasta with Ricotta
Servings 4Ingredients
- 8 oz. bowtie pasta ($0.53)
- 16 oz. baby bella mushrooms ($3.38)
- 2 Tbsp olive oil ($0.32)
- 2 Tbsp butter ($0.20)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 2 cups fresh spinach ($1.07)
- salt and pepper to taste ($0.05)
- 1/2 cup whole milk ricotta ($1.00)
- 1 pinch crushed red pepper (optional) ($0.03)
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil for the pasta. Once boiling, add the bowtie pasta and continue to boil until tender (about 7 minutes). Reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water before draining in a colander.
- While the pasta is cooking, prepare the rest of the dish. Wash and slice the mushrooms, then add them to a large skillet along with the olive oil. Sauté over medium heat until the mushrooms have released all their water, the water has evaporated, and the mushrooms begin to brown (about 7 minutes).
- While the mushrooms are cooking, mince the garlic. Add the garlic and butter to the browned mushrooms and continue to cook over medium for 1-2 minutes more, or just until the garlic softens a bit.
- By this time the pasta should be finished cooking. Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water to the skillet and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom of the skillet. The starchy pasta water and butter will make a slurry that will act as a light "sauce" that helps the salt and pepper adhere to the surface of the pasta.
- Add the fresh spinach to the skillet and stir just until wilted (1 minute). Add the drained pasta to the skillet and stir until everything is evenly combined. Turn the heat off and season liberally with salt and pepper. If the pasta is dry, you can add an additional splash of the reserved pasta water.
- Finally, spoon the ricotta on top of the pasta in one-tablespoon dollops. Add a pinch of red pepper on top, if desired, and serve warm.
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Nutrition
Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Mushroom and Spinach Pasta – Step by Step Photos
Begin by cooking 8 oz. bowtie pasta. You’ll be able to prepare the rest of the dish while the pasta is cooking. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add the pasta, then continue to boil until the pasta is tender (about 7 minutes). Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the starchy pasta water.
After you get the water started, wash and slice 16 oz. baby bella mushrooms. Add them to a large skillet with 2 Tbsp olive oil and sauté over medium heat.
As you cook the mushrooms they’ll begin to release water. Keep cooking until all of that water evaporates and the mushrooms begin to brown.
Once the mushrooms have browned a little, add 2 Tbsp butter and two cloves of minced garlic. Sauté only for 1-2 minutes more, or just until the garlic softens a bit.
Add about ¼ cup of the starchy pasta water to the skillet and stir to dissolve any browned bits off the bottom. The butter and water will make a sort of slurry that acts as a light sauce. Add 2 cups fresh spinach to the skillet and stir just until the spinach has wilted (about 1 minute).
Finally, stir the cooked and drained pasta into the skillet until everything is well combined. Turn the heat off and then season liberally with salt and pepper. If the pasta is too dry here, you can add a splash more of the reserved starchy pasta water.
Finally, add ½ cup whole milk ricotta in one-tablespoon dollops on top of the pasta and sprinkle a pinch of crushed red pepper over top, if desired. Serve warm!
I am wondering if anyone has made this with frozen spinach and canned mushrooms? : )
This is the second recipe that I’ve made of Beth’s and it was wonderful – and so simple! I had thought the proportions seemed off and made double the pasta, but then I was left with 8 ounces of plain pasta because the quantities in the recipe are exactly right. Since I had the leftover plain pasta, I cooked up squash, zucchini, mushrooms and spinach a few nights later and used the same technique with the pasta and ricotta. Excellent again. I can’t wait to try more recipes on this site.
My grocery store didn’t have ricotta, do you think parmesan would be a good alternative? Would that change the taste too much?
LOVE it! Everything I have made of Beth’s has been absolutely amazing. My kids and SO all love everything we have tried as well, which is saying ALOT! In this recipe, I will admit I was not sure about all the mushrooms at first because I like mushroom flavor, but I don’t care for the texture and usually end up picking them out. The baby bellas were perfect though- not rubbery, squishy or slimy – just a good balance of crisp and soft. The fresh spinach added a good dimension of amazing flavor as well, and the ricotta was a perfect balance. This recipe (and every recipe from this site that I have tried so far) is super easy to make and has turned out great. I have done very, very little actual cooking before this much past microwaving something, so this is a true first for me! I am so glad I found this site!
Hi, can I use goat cheese instead of ricotta? Thanks in advance.
Yes I think that would be delicious.
This was yummy! We added roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh basil.
I edited slightly… Used a little more pasta and added a little bit of chicken stock (a generous splash) and some leftover roast chicken breast for a . I didn’t think it needed the ricotta. Simple and fast. Will make again!
This was amazing! So delicious and so easy to make!
This was delicious! I made a couple minor changes.
First, I started the mushrooms in a hot skillet with 1/4 cup water in order to speed the process of cooking. The America’s Test Kitchen show What’s Eating Dan? has an episode on mushrooms where I picked this up. Only once the pan was dry and the mushrooms had begun to soften did I add the oil. Then, when serving time came, I sprinkled just a bit of lemon zest over the top of each portion, which perfectly rounded things out!
I served it with a roasted acorn squash–what a delicious meal! Thanks!
I LOVE What’s Eating Dan!!!!!! I’m borderline obsessed with his tricks and tips. I’ll never whip things the same again! Great tip though I’ll see what we can do!
This is the first recipe I’ve made from Budget Bytes and it was DELICIOUS! The ricotta made it so creamy and satisfying. My family of 4 all loved it as well. Three other recipes since have been just as good. So excited to have found your site. Is there a way to save favorite recipes? Thank you so much.
Hi Denise! We’re happy you are here! We don’t have a way to save recipes on the site just yet, but we’re hoping for something down the road.
I made this recipe yesterday and it turned out great. I really love it and will make more time.
Happy to hear it!
This tasted amazing! I’m usually not a fan of mushrooms, but had a craving for them the other day. I made this and I am in love! I can’t wait to make it again.
This is great Jessica!
Could this be made with frozen spinach?
If so, how to proceed?
It is possible, but the texture will not be as nice. If using frozen spinach just make sure to thaw it completely and squeeze most of the water out first. Then just add it to the skillet when you add the pasta and stir to combine.
Absolutely love this meal. Been making a lot of Beth’s dishes and this one was a great quick, easy, and cheap weeknight dinner for my SO and I. It’s the pasta equivalent of the delicious white pizzas I grew up eating with my dad so it’s personally the ultimate comfort food. Also love that it’s meatless helps us with our budget and our sustainability.
Aw this warms my heart to hear Jordan! Thanks for sharing!
Oh wow, I didn’t even think about how similar it is to a white pizza, but you’re right! Ha! I’m so glad the recipes are working out so well for you. :)
Vegan ricotta option – tofu mashed with nutritional yeast, Bragg’s liquid aminos and vegan sour cream. I use this all the time in lasagna.
YUM! Thanks for sharing Jen!