Creamy Garlic Mushroom Pasta
Pasta with mushrooms, onions, roasted garlic and baby spinach in a vegan cream cheese sauce. Cook the pasta separately and save some cooking water to loosen the sauce. Whole garlic bulbs may need longer than the listed cooking time; check that the cloves are soft enough to mash.
Servings 3
Cost $10
Equipment
- Oven
- Large rimmed baking tray
- pot for boiling pasta
- Mixing bowl
- garlic press optional
- kitchen knife.
- Cutting board
- aluminum foil
Ingredients
- 14 oz Mushrooms or 400g, sliced
- 1-2 Onions depending on size and preference
- 2 tbsp Fresh Thyme
- Salt to taste
- Black Pepper to taste
- Olive Oil as needed
- 7 oz Vegan Cream Cheese or 200g
- 1 Whole Garlic Bulb top cut off to expose cloves
- 14 oz Pasta or 400g
- 7 oz Baby Spinach or 200g
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Drizzle olive oil over the exposed cloves of the garlic bulb. Wrap the bulb in foil, place on a tray, and roast for about 40–60 minutes. Check carefully: the cloves must be soft enough to mash. Larger bulbs may need longer.
- Slice the mushrooms and thinly slice the onions. Toss with thyme, salt, pepper, and enough olive oil to coat lightly. Spread in a single layer on a large rimmed metal baking tray, using two trays if crowded. Keep the cream cheese out of the oven.
- After the garlic has roasted for about 15 minutes, put the vegetable tray in the oven, uncovered. Roast for 25–35 minutes, stirring halfway, until the onions are soft, the mushrooms are browned, and most of their liquid has evaporated. Continue roasting if needed. If the vegetables finish before the garlic, set them aside while the garlic finishes.
- When the garlic is nearly soft, cook the pasta according to its packet instructions. Reserve a mug of cooking water before draining. The pasta cooks while the garlic finishes roasting.
- Let the garlic cool just enough to handle, then squeeze out the soft cloves and mash them. Transfer the vegetables to the drained pasta pot. If there is pooled liquid, simmer briefly to reduce it before adding the sauce ingredients.
- Over low heat, stir the mashed garlic and vegan cream cheese into the hot vegetables. Add the cooked pasta and baby spinach in handfuls, tossing until the spinach wilts. Add reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time only if needed for a sauce that coats the pasta.
- Taste and adjust the salt and pepper, then serve warm. The listed cooking time includes roasting the garlic; use tenderness, not the clock alone, to judge when it is ready.
Notes
Updated method: Following reader feedback about firm garlic and watery vegetables, roast the garlic in its own foil parcel and the vegetables uncovered. The original step photos may show a different arrangement.
Vegan cream cheese: Most soften or melt when heated, and brands vary. Stir a plain, unsweetened cream cheese in after roasting to control the sauce more easily.
Cooking time: Allow about 15 minutes of preparation and 60 minutes of cooking, with the pasta cooking while the garlic finishes. The 75-minute total is an estimate. Garlic often takes 40–60 minutes; large bulbs may need longer. Check for soft, mashable cloves and fully tender onions.
Avoid a watery sauce: Use a large metal tray, leave the vegetables uncovered, and avoid crowding. Let excess liquid evaporate before adding the cream cheese. Add reserved pasta water one tablespoon at a time only if needed.
Mixing and leftovers: Finish in the drained pasta pot and add spinach in handfuls. Add fresh herbs if you like. A splash of water will loosen the sauce when reheating.