Asparagus Spinach Pasta
This Asparagus Spinach Pasta is one of my favorite meals to make in less than 30 minutes — loaded with sautéed asparagus, mushrooms, and fresh spinach then coated in a light cream sauce. To round off the dish we sprinkle a handful of crumbled goat cheese overtop and call it a win!
For more healthy and easy pasta recipes to make in under 30 minutes, try my Avocado Pesto Pasta, Creamy Lemon Chicken Pasta, and Boursin Pasta! Each are as easy to make as they are delicious to eat.
Why This Recipe Works
- Easy dinner under 30 minutes. You’ll love this recipe because it comes together so easily! Dinner in under 30? Yes please!
- Delicious vegetarian pasta recipe. This is a great dinner option for meatless Monday. Just be sure to swap out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Topped with goat cheese. I’m a big sucker for goat cheese! It’s salty, creamy, and so flavorful. It’s perfect atop this asparagus spinach pasta.
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta: Use whatever noodle you prefer! You can use small shells, rotini, penne pasta, bucatini, farfalle, etc. The options are endless!
- Butter: The butter provides a delicious flavor when cooking the mushrooms and asparagus.
- Mushrooms: If you aren’t a big fan of mushrooms, you can omit them.
- Asparagus: Be sure to chop the asparagus into smaller pieces to make them easier to eat.
- Heavy Cream: The heavy cream provides a delicious creamy base to the pasta sauce.
- Chicken Broth: If you are looking to make this dish vegetarian, be sure to sub out the chicken broth for vegetable broth.
- Spinach: The spinach will wilt and soften when added to the warm pasta. You can use regular spinach or baby spinach.
- Goat Cheese: I like adding the goat cheese to each individual serving so people can add as much as they’d like. The goat cheese provides a creamy texture to the sauce and adds amazing flavor!
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Cook pasta. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over medium-high heat. Add 12 oz of pasta to the boiling water and cook until al dente. Drain and set aside.
- Make the sauce. While the pasta is cooking, add 4 tablespoons butter to a large saucepan or large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced mushrooms and asparagus. Cook for 6-9 minutes or until the mushrooms have shrunk in size and are softened and the asparagus are bright green and tender. Add the minced garlic and 1/4 cup chicken broth. Stir and cook for another minutes.
- Add cream. Add 1/3 cup heavy cream to the saucepan and stir. Then add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Remove from heat.
- Toss pasta with the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and sauce to a large bowl and toss until coated. Add 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese and stir to combine. Add the chopped spinach and toss.
- Top with goat cheese. Dish up the spinach asparagus pasta and crumble the goat cheese on top of individual servings. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
I try to time draining the pasta with finishing the sauce. This way the drained pasta noodles don’t stick to each other while I finish making the pasta sauce.
If you’d like, you can omit the salt since the parmesan and goat cheese will add salty-ness to the dish.
As a note, the simple sauce for this asparagus spinach pasta isn’t thick. There isn’t any thickening agent to make it so. The goat cheese will help to add that creamy thickened nature to the dish when added to the servings and gently stirred.
You can add the goat cheese directly to the pasta if you wish. Note, if you do this, the goat cheese will get melty (which I love) and will begin to evenly coat the entire pasta dish. I’ve done this before, and while it’s good, I prefer adding the goat cheese to the top of each dish.
If you aren’t a fan of mushrooms, omit them. You can replace the mushrooms with more asparagus.
Don’t overcook the mushrooms and asparagus. We want them to be fork tender, but not mushy. 6-8 minutes cooking time is just about perfect.
Add some red pepper flakes for a bit of heat, if desired.
Some suggestions to make this dish healthier…
- Sauté the mushrooms and asparagus in olive oil rather than butter. I chose to use butter because I love eating my vegetables with a gentle serving of butter.
- Use half and half in place of the heavy cream.
- Use whole wheat pasta.
- Add an additional vegetable. Broccoli would be a great choice! If you choose to do this, sauté it with the asparagus and mushrooms.
- If you don’t like mushrooms, you don’t have to add them.
Make Ahead, Storing, and Freezing
This asparagus spinach pasta is super easy to make and doesn’t take long. Therefore, you don’t really need any make ahead preparation.
Store any leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave, adding a splash of cream or milk if needed to create a saucier texture.
Recipe FAQs
As written, no. But easily swap out the chicken broth for water or vegetable broth and it is vegetarian.
Yes. You can add the chopped frozen asparagus directly to the pan. It will just take longer to cook, so add the mushrooms a tad later.
Yes! Add some rotisserie chicken, grilled chicken breast, shrimp, or tofu. Cook separately and toss it with the pasta when you add the sauce.
More Pasta Dishes
Asparagus Spinach Pasta
Ingredients
- 12 oz pasta
- 4 tablespoons butter
- 8 oz sliced mushrooms
- 1 1/2 cups asparagus spears - chopped
- 1 garlic clove - minced
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/3 cup parmesan - grated
- 2 cups spinach - chopped
- 4 oz goat cheese - crumbled
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.
- In a skillet or saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and asparagus. Cook for 6-9 minutes. The mushrooms will shrink in size and soften and asparagus will be bright green and tender. Add the garlic and chicken broth to the skillet. Stir and cook for an additional 30 seconds.
- Add the heavy cream, salt, and pepper to the mushrooms. Stir to combine. And remove from heat.
- In a large bowl toss the pasta with the sauce. Add the parmesan cheese to the warm pasta, stir to combine. Add the chopped spinach to the pasta and toss to incorporate. *adding the spinach while the pasta is still warm helps the spinach wilt slightly.
- Crumble the cheese overtop each individual serving.
Welcome to this delicious corner of the internet! Here I share the recipes my family loves.
One Comment on “Asparagus Spinach Pasta”
Made this recipe for my wife after a long day. She loved it! Scored definite points. Thanks 🙂