Creamy Mushroom Pasta with Parmesan and Kale

This creamy mushroom pasta with parmesan and kale is made with whole wheat penne and single cream for a healthy vegetarian dinner that's super delicious. It also has porcini mushrooms that make every bite extra flavourful.

I'm always testing vegetarian pasta recipes as some of my favourite ever dishes contain a mix of pasta and veggies. My creamy sweet potato pasta sauce and mushroom Alfredo pasta bake are just two very tasty examples.

This creamy mushroom pasta sauce has a combination of chestnut mushrooms and porcini that takes things to the next level if you're a mushroom lover.

I also use the water in which I rehydrate the dried porcini mushrooms in so you can't say you weren't warned — this is really a pasta recipe for mushroom lovers.

A healthier mushroom pasta sauce

In most cases, creamy mushroom pasta sauces are achieved with the help of a lot of butter and double cream. I'm often guilty of this, but not this time.

This is a rather heathy creamy mushroom pasta for which I use olive oil instead of butter and single cream (half and half) instead of heavy cream.

I also make this recipe with whole wheat pasta, which does indeed have a different texture than regular pasta made from refined flour, but it's also higher in fibre and also sports complex carbs, iron, protein, zinc and magnesium.

How to cook whole wheat pasta?

Whole wheat pasta has a different texture than white pasta, which means that you often have to cook it for longer to achieve that perfect al dente texture.

The rules of cooking whole wheat pasta are basically the same as for regular pasta, but the timings are different.

Bring a pot of water to the boil, salt it, and add your pasta. Most types of whole wheat penne require 12 to 14 minutes of boiling, but you shoul start checking the pasta after about 8 minutes as you on't want to overcook it.

Test the pasta by taking one of the penne out and bite into it. If you can still see a floury circle at the center, the pasta is not ready yet. When that disappears, you can drain the pasta (don't forget to always reserve some pasta water because you may need it for the sauce — if you love pasta like I do, it quickly becomes a reflex).

How do you make this mushroom pasta sauce?

1. Heat the olive oil in a large pan over medium heat and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes until they soften.
2. Mix in the chopped mushrooms and cook for a couple of minutes. Stir in the porcini mushrooms and cook for another minute or so.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add 200 ml of the water they rehydrated in. Pour the vegetable stock over the mushroom mixture, cook for a few minutes, add the shredded kale, and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. Stir in the single cream and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the drained pasta in the sauce. Leave it to simmer until the sauce thickens. Sprinkle the Parmesan and give it another good stir.
5. Season with salt and pepper and serve immediately, with extra Parmesan on top if you like.

Recipe notes & tips

• You can use any other type of mushrooms instead of chestnut mushrooms — this recipe works well with Portobello, Forestiere, or even closed cup mushrooms.
• The porcini mushrooms need to be rehydrated for at least 30 minutes in freshly boiled water.
• If you want to go all in, you can substitute the veggie stock with mushroom stock.

If you liked this mushroom pasta with parmesan and kale recipe, check out some of my other quick pasta recipes:

Easiest Ever Creamy Prawn Linguine (Linguine con Gamberi)

Creamy Roasted Red Pepper Pasta with Walnuts

Creamy Mushroom Alfredo Pasta Bake

Looking for more delicious inspiration? Follow Skinny Spatula on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest!