Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Farfalle Pasta With Mushrooms and Spinach
Bow-tie pasta gives this creamy mushroom dinner a playful shape, with spinach and little pieces of sun-dried tomato caught between the folds. Parmesan adds a savory edge to the sauce. It's an inviting bowl if you like earthy mushrooms with something tangy alongside them.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Cuisine
- Italian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
- Dish type
- Pasta
A few quick notes
1. Brown the mushrooms
Let the sliced mushrooms become tender and browned before adding the spinach leaves to the pan.
2. Keep vegetables warm
Remove the cooked vegetable mixture after adding garlic, then cover it while you prepare the cream sauce.
3. Simmer the cream gently
Let the cream simmer until just thickened; the directions specifically say to avoid bringing it to a boil.
Get to know the ingredients
Sliced mushrooms
The mushrooms go into butter first, giving them time to brown before the other vegetables join them.
Sun-dried tomatoes
Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped, and stir them into the wilted spinach and browned mushrooms.
Fresh Parmesan
Whisk freshly grated Parmesan continuously into the warm cream until it melts through the sauce.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 11 steps completeMake room for Farfalle Pasta With Mushrooms and Spinach
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Parsley over the pasta
Combine the drained pasta and vegetables with the sauce, then sprinkle chopped parsley over the finished pan.
A little more help as you go
Butter in two stages
Use the first portion of butter for the vegetables and the remaining portion for starting the cream sauce.
Season the sauce
Taste and season the Parmesan cream sauce before mixing in the cooked pasta and reserved vegetables.
A few questions you might have
Do the vegetables stay in for the sauce?
Take them out after the garlic cooks, cover to keep warm, and return them with the drained pasta.
When should I add spinach?
Stir the leaves into the browned mushrooms and cook until wilted before adding the sun-dried tomatoes.
Does the garlic brown with the mushrooms?
Add the garlic later, after the spinach and tomatoes, and cook for only the stated brief interval.
How do I know the sauce is ready for cheese?
The cream should have simmered until just thickened, without boiling, before you whisk in the Parmesan.
What pasta shape is used?
Use farfalle, cooked in salted water according to its package directions before combining with sauce.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
