Autumn is the time for mushrooms. People in Italy who live near forests are madly foraging for fresh porcini mushrooms. Restaurant menus fill with mushrooms, as do the recipe pages of newspapers and magazines. It is poetic that these clever fungi take advantage of the decay and rain of autumn to produce these delightful treats. Mushrooms, technically the fruiting bodies of vast underground fungal networks, are a madly delicious ingredient for cooking.
I recently wanted to make a vegetarian lasagna for a Halloween bash. Zucchini and eggplant, my normal go-to ingredients for no-meat lasagna, were off the table because of some strong dislikes among some kids at the get-together. I figured mushrooms would be a good meat substitute because when deeply sautéed, they take on a flavor much like meat (the Maillard reaction).
I headed to one of the three H-Mart grocery stores near our house. For those not familiar with it, H-Mart is a huge grocery chain selling a full range of groceries for Korean and other Asian cuisines. H-Mart is my first destination I need special mushrooms or other hard-to-find Asian ingredients. The prices are very favorable, also, compared to mainline grocery stores.
Eyeing some oyster mushrooms that the grocer was just stocking the shelves with at H-Mart, I asked if I could take a package out of the big box. He looked at me and said ‘Sure, but this other box ie better’, handing me a giant crate of oyster mushrooms for $10. Thinking, “So, what am I going to do with all these mushrooms?” I took them anyway.
The vegetable lasagna was a big success but I was still left with half a flat of beautiful oyster mushrooms. I got thinking about the classic combo of mushrooms and cream. But I needed some green too, so enter spinach. This simple dish of deeply sautéed mushrooms with spinach, heavy cream, and cheese is fast to prepare and a great meatless meal. You could substitute different greens such as kale or chard and whatever fresh mushrooms you can get your hands on.
Pasta with Sautéed Mushrooms and Spinach
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 2 bunches of fresh spinach, stems trimmed, about 1 lb
- 1 lb fresh dark-colored mushrooms, any root ends at the end of the stems trimmed away (I used a combination of oyster and baby bella mushrooms) – see Note 1
- 2 oz / 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 4 fresh thyme sprigs
- Splash white wine
- 1 cup heavy cream
- ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- 4 servings short dry pasta, about 1 lb (I used Mezzi Rigatoni pasta)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
- Clean the spinach well to remove any sand by immersing in a large bowl of cold water or by filing your sink with water. Remove by lifting up out of the water, leaving the sand behind.
- Set up a medium pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Boil the spinach for 2 or so minutes, until wilted. Remove from pot by lifting the spinach out with tongs or a spoon and place in colander. When cool enough to handle, squeeze to remove excess water. Place on a cutting board and roughly chop.
- Prepare the mushrooms by removing the stem ends and chopping or slicing into bite-sized pieces. Add the butter to a large frying pan over medium heat until melted. Add the mushrooms, thyme sprigs and a generous pinch of salt. Sauté the mushrooms – they will first release their water, then the pan will start to dry out and the mushrooms will begin to brown. If needed, add more butter.
- Add a splash of wine to deglaze the pan, then add the cooked and chopped spinach. Mix everything together to combine.
- Add the heavy cream and slowly reduce until you create a saucy mixture. Add the cheese and stir. Taste and adjust the salt and pepper to your liking. This is the final sauce so this is your last chance.
- Cook the pasta per the package directions to al dente. Reserving some pasta water, drain and add the pasta to the sauce in its pan. Heat gently for one minute to meld the sauce and pasta together. If the sauce is too dry, add a little of the pasta water.
- Serve with more grated Parmesan cheese.
Notes
Note 1 – use dark colored fresh mushrooms oyster, cremini/baby bella, shiitake, morel, porcini
I haven’t tried your recipe yet but it looks delicious, so I’ve saved it and will make it soon!
I haven’t made this yet, as I do very little cooking. Since subscribing to your kitchen I may have to resume! Large thanks.
I made this dish for my husband’s and my wedding anniversary this evening. It was outstanding! With a bottle of chardonnay, a vinaigrette salad, good Italian olive oil and crusty Italian bread, we felt like we were dining at a fine Italian restaurant! Thank you for sharing this recipe. It is most certainly a keeper!
Thank you for the comment! I’m glad you enjoyed it. This was one of those recipes that came to me from opportunity, in this case, loads of extra mushrooms. Joe
Just the recipe I was craving! I could close my eyes and think of myself decades younger(many) overlooking the Mediterranean and enjoying with the wine and my new favorite warm and crusty Asiago cheese bread! Thank you for the recipe and bringing back those memories. I’ll pass this on to my roommate on the other side of the country. We were students almost like sisters.
Food memories are the absolutely best…grazie for taking the time to comment, Patricia Michele