One Pot Mushroom and Spinach Pasta

I make some version of this at least once a week. Everything, even the pasta, cooks in one pot, so the rigatoni soaks up all the flavor from the mushrooms, wine and lemon as it goes.

It’s simple, mostly hands off, and vegetarian without feeling like you’re missing anything. My kind of weeknight dinner.

One Pot Mushroom and Spinach Pasta

Ingredients:

• Mushrooms- I used Crimini, Shiitake and white button, 1 package of each

• Spinach- fresh or frozen (thawed if frozen)

• Rigatoni pasta

• S + P

• Shallots- you can also use garlic

• Lemon, juice and zest

• Thyme-chopped

• Cheap dry white wine, about 1 cup

• Vegetable stock, about 1/2 cup

• Olive oil

• Mascarpone

• Asiago cheese, grated, about 1 cup

• Parmigiano reggiano, about 3/4 cup

• Red pepper flakes

• Burrata

• Flour + water, to make a paste to thicken the sauce

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to package directions to get it “al dente”

2. Slice the cremini and white button mushrooms and leave the shiitakes whole. Heat olive oil in a pan on medium-high heat and add the mushrooms and season them with S + P. Sauté for about 5 min to get them golden and place them aside for later.

3. In the same pan, add more olive oil on medium heat and sauté the shallots (or garlic if using) and red pepper flakes until semi translucent and fragrant. Add the white wine while scraping the brown bits left from the shallos—cook for about 5 min then add the veggie stock. Season with S + P if you need to then add thyme and lemon juice.

4. After a few minutes, add the mascarpone (I used about 3/4 of the 8 oz tub) and until all the mascarpone has melted. Add in the grated asiago and parmigiano reggiano.

5. In a small bowl, mix the flour and water to get a thick consistency (I used 1:1 ration, 3 tbsp flour, 3 tbsp water)—Whisk in the mixture (you have to make sure you mix the sauce as you add the flour mix)

6. Add the spinach, mushrooms and more grated asiago to the pan. Cook until the spinach has wilted then add the cooked pasta to the pan, mix until everything comes together.

7. Top with Burrata and red pepper flakes.

8. Enjoy!