Baked Spinach and Mushroom Pasta

Hello world!!

Big things have been happening in my neck of the woods... but you'll have to wait another few days for more info on that :)

In the meantime, I'll share with you a new recipe I tried out this week! Last night actually...

We had decided that we would have a pasta dish last night (actually, the SO had requested meatballs and spaghetti, which we had very successfully made the week before). But I decided to go in a different direction... especially because he ended up working late so it was just me for supper.

In my mind I knew that I wanted mushrooms, creamy sauce, and (get this!!) spinach. Now for most of you the spinach idea probably isn't a crazy one. But for those of you who know me, I am not a fan! I seem to have a bit of an allergic reaction if I eat too much, but in small doses and mixed in with other things it's usually not so bad. A full-on spinach salad though... not happening!

So I did some digging around on the internet and pinterest for some inspiration and in the end, decided to wing it. And I gotta say... I was pretty successful!

I have been super into crimini mushrooms lately, and I already had some in the fridge, so I took advantage of that. I also went out on a limb and tried shiitake mushrooms for the very first time!

I created the sauce using cream, paprika, thyme, and all of the lovely juices and tastes that come from the mushrooms! Delicious! The bread I can't take any credit for - Sobey's Sundried Tomatoe Baguette. But it paired together perfectly with the pasta and was very tasty!

All-in-all, I'm a fan!! And I will be making this again.

Just in case you're interested, here is the recipe:

Baked Spinach and Mushroom Pasta

5-6 crimini mushrooms (depending on size)

3-4 shiitake mushrooms (depending on size)

1/2 onion (I used white)

Handful of spinach (such a precise measurement ha!)

500mL carton of cream

1 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp thyme

1 package of noodles of your choice

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Boil water and prep noodles as per instructions on the package. Preheat oven to 450F.

2. In a large skillet prepped with some oil, saute the mushrooms and onions for approximately 5 minutes or until they start to brown up and smell wonderful!

3. Add spinach to the skillet with a little bit of water to help cook it down.

4. Pour the cream into the skillet mixture and season with paprika, thyme, salt and pepper. Allow to cook a few minutes until it starts to thicken. If it isn't thickening up the way you want, add a teaspoon of corn starch. 

5. Drain the cooked pasta and then add it to the skillet. Mix to coat.

6. Pour the pasta into a baking dish and top with shredded cheese.

7. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the cheese is melted to your liking. You can also do a quick last-minute broil on high to really get that cheese melted right down.

Give it a try and let me know what you think!

Until next time...

D.