This tasty Mushroom Spinach Ricotta Pasta Bake is a creamy and hearty pasta dish that’s perfect for any night of the week. You’ll love this easy recipe and the combination of wholesome goodness from spinach and mushrooms, plus creamy ricotta.
This hearty and comforting pasta bake is so easy to make, and only requires 8 ingredients!
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💚 About This Recipe
For a hearty and wholesome dish that has everything you need, put together this mushroom and spinach pasta bake! It combines tender macaroni with healthy veggies and delicious Italian flavors for a family-favorite dish that will be a hit whenever you serve it.
Easy to make, this dish is great as a weeknight meal when you want something fast, but it's substantial enough for Sunday dinner as well!
I rank this one up there with my One Pot Zucchini Mushroom Pasta when it comes to satisfying meals that I can feel confident about serving to my family. Pasta lovers will adore this delicious pasta dish!
🧂 Ingredients Needed
- pasta - I like to use elbow macaroni for this dish, but just about any pasta shape will work great.
- mushrooms - buy them pre-sliced to save time on prep.
- marinara sauce - your favorite store bought tomato sauce is perfect here!
- ricotta cheese - provides a creamy and cheesy quality that makes this dish so comforting.
- Italian seasoning - an easy way to add lots of flavor with little effort, you can either use store bought or make your own Homemade Italian Seasoning.
- black pepper - to taste.
- fresh baby spinach - provides some added nutrition and pops of green color.
- mozzarella cheese - melts perfectly in the oven for a layer of gooey and comforting cheese.
🔪 Instructions
- Cook pasta until al dente.
- Microwave mushrooms for 3 minutes, or until softened.
- In a separate bowl, combine marinara, ricotta, Italian seasoning, and pepper.
- Stir the spinach into the cooking pasta, just until wilted, then drain.
- Stir ricotta mixture and mushrooms into drained pasta and spinach.
- Add marinara to a baking dish and top with the pasta mixture.
- Cover with remaining sauce, top with mozzarella, then bake until bubbly and golden brown.
❔ FAQs
Yes, this pasta bake recipe doesn't have enough liquid or time in the oven to properly cook pasta all the way through. Be sure to cook it just to al dente before baking.
Absolutely! Feel free to switch things up and use a different kind of sauce, like alfredo sauce or a meat sauce for some added protein.
Ricotta cheese is a soft, creamy cheese that's made from the whey leftover from the production of other cheeses. The whey is heated, and an acid (like vinegar or lemon juice) is added to coagulate the proteins, forming curds. These curds are then strained to create ricotta. It's a staple in Italian cuisine and is known for its mild, slightly sweet flavor and smooth texture.
💭 Expert Tips and Tricks
- Microwaving the mushrooms is an optional step. If you prefer them to be firmer, it can be skipped. Just know it may result in a bit more liquid in your spinach mushroom pasta.
- If you find your pasta turns out a bit mushy, cook even less than what's called for to get it to al dente.
- Use whole milk ricotta instead of part skim ricotta for a super creamy and full texture.
📌 This spinach and ricotta pasta bake is the perfect recipe to please even the pickiest eaters! Tender pasta paired with veggies in a tasty sauce means you have everything you need for a satisfying meal.
💡 Substitutions and Variations
- Feel free to use a homemade pasta sauce or marinara if you have a recipe you really enjoy.
- Mix in grilled chicken, browned ground beef, or pieces of cooked Italian sausage to add flavor and heartiness.
- Other shapes of pasta like farfalle, rigatoni, pasta shells, and penne pasta can be used instead of elbow macaroni.
- For more flavor, add roasted red pepper or your choice of fresh herbs.
- Add a bit of nutmeg to the sauce mixture for some extra warm flavor and depth.
- Top with a sprinkle of Parmesan cheese, red pepper flakes (or chili flakes), fresh parsley, fresh thyme, or fresh basil.
- When it comes to the kind of mushrooms you use, I recommend white button mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, or baby bella mushrooms. But at the end of the day, any kind of fresh mushrooms will do the trick!
🥫 Storage and Reheating
Keep leftover mushroom and spinach pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. You can also store it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, you can pop it in the microwave for one minute increments until heated through. You can also place it back in the oven until it reaches your desired temperature.
From frozen, I recommend letting the pasta bake thaw in the fridge, overnight if possible.
🍴 What To Serve With This Dish
Looking for a side dish to pair with your spinach mushroom pasta for an even larger meal? Serve alongside a Cucumber Salad or Apple Walnut Salad for additional greens, or pair with Baked Green Bean Fries or Dill Fries. Another great option would be a basket of hot, fresh garlic bread!
✔️ More Pasta Recipes You'll Love
- One Pot Broccoli Mac and Cheese - Take a classic dish and add healthy veggies for a wholesome dinner, all in one pot for easy cleanup!
- Chickpea Pasta Salad - Great as a side dish or a tasty lunch, this is a healthy pasta salad that's sure to keep you full.
- One Pot Lemon Pasta - All you need is 20 minutes to make this refreshing and timeless lemon pasta dish.
- Pasta Fagioli Soup - This Olive Garden copycat recipe from Cooking Classy yields a super hearty and comforting soup, perfect for cozy dinners!
Pasta with Spinach and Mushrooms
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📋 Recipe Card
Creamy Mushroom Spinach Ricotta Pasta Bake
Ingredients
- 16 ounces elbow macaroni
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 24 ounces marinara sauce (one jar)
- 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- 5 ounces fresh spinach
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente.16 ounces elbow macaroni
- While the pasta is cooking, place the sliced mushrooms in a microwave-safe bowl and microwave on high for 3 minutes to soften them.8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- In a medium bowl, mix 1 ½ cups of marinara, the ricotta cheese, the Italian seasoning, and the pepper.1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese, 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning, 24 ounces marinara sauce, ¼ teaspoon pepper
- When the pasta is done but before draining the pasta, stir in the spinach until wilted. Drain.5 ounces fresh spinach
- Add the ricotta mixture and mushrooms (without the liquid that was produced during the microwaving process) to the pasta and mix gently.
- Spread ½ cup of the marinara on the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan, then top with the pasta mixture.
- Distribute the remaining sauce on top and then sprinkle the mozzarella cheese.1 cup shredded mozzarella
- Bake uncovered 20-25 minutes until hot and bubbly and the cheese is melted and browning.
Notes
- You can use your favorite store-bought or homemade spaghetti sauce in place of the marinara.
- Use your favorite pasta shape instead of elbows if you prefer.
- For a creamier texture, use whole milk ricotta instead of part-skim.
- The step to microwave the mushrooms is optional if you like them to be more firm. However be aware that they may add some liquid to the finished dish.
- If desired, add a touch of nutmeg to the ricotta mixture to create additional depth of flavor.
Video
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate. The nutritional values for your final dish may vary based on measuring differences and products used.
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Dina and Bruce says
This is most definately gonna happen at our home stat!
Ned says
Creamy, hearty and delicious! I loved every bite of this! Thank you!
Elisa says
We love Creamy Mushroom Spinach Ricotta Pasta Bake (Easy) recipe, always delicious and my family asks for seconds. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Andrea says
What marvelous flavors in this hearty and comforting pasta bake. It's perfect for a weekday meal or a potluck with friends.
dana says
I love a good pasta bake and this one sounds incredible! I can't wait to try it.
Erik says
Love how creamy this is. Perfect way to switch things up for dinner!