Saturday, June 3, 2017

Penne with Mushroom & Spinach Alfredo​


​​In my last post I mentioned that I had twisted my knee. Well, it started feeling better, so I continued on with my life as usual, and twisted it again. Blast! Some people never learn. So, I'm back to digging around in the fridge to see what I have in order to come up with a nice meal.
Heavy cream is something that I always have on hand, it's my only vice. Well...it's one of a few vices. All right, I have many vices, heavy cream is somewhere among the “H’s,” but I digress. As I was saying, I always have heavy cream. Additionally, I have a wide variety of pastas, not only because I like pasta, but I also like the cuteness of all those different shapes, and I also keep heaps of Parmesan cheese in my freezer (I do get a little panicky when I'm running low), and I always have frozen chopped spinach. Don't judge! I like spinach, and it's amazingly versatile. You can toss it into soups, stews, pasta dishes, what have you, and it's always going to be a nice, not to mention, nutritious addition.
With this in mind, I came up with a delicious spinach, mushroom, and penne alfredo. This sauce can be used with any type of pasta, and feel free to season it up anyway that you like.  Add more nutmeg if you like nutmeg like I do, less if you're not that keen on it. Add more pepper, toss in extra mushrooms, do whatever you like. This is no fail. Pasta, spinach, heavy cream, Parmesan cheese, what's not to like?
Penne with Mushroom & Spinach Alfredo​

1/2 cup butter

6 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced
3/4 cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1-2/3 cups heavy whipping cream
3 tablespoons cream cheese
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/8 - 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
 
Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Stir in mushrooms and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add spinach and cook until warmed, about 1 minute. Add cream and cream cheese; cook and stir until cream cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Stir Parmesan cheese and garlic powder into spinach mixture; season with nutmeg, and salt and pepper. Simmer until sauce is thickened and smooth, about 10 more minutes. Serve immediately, topped with additional cheese, if desired.


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11 comments:

GranthamLynn said...

Oh goodness. So yummy. I am sorry about your knee(s). But I am glad you rummaged around and came up with a new great recipe. My Cowboy likes Alfredo I am just o.k. I love Penne he is not a fan. Maybe with the mushrooms and spinach we could meet in the middle. I am for sure trying tonight! I have heavy cream and always frozen spinach!
I hope you'll come back over to the Fabulous Party at Our Holiday Journey.
I'd love to pick your post as my favorite! I am now pinning all posts and
featuring favorites on My Journey Back my blog! Come over again and party
with me. Thanks for the inspiration!

jmac said...

This looks so good right now...how I wish I lived close to you!
You said you freeze your Parmesan cheese. Grated or whole?

Mary@mydogsmygardenandmary said...

Looks delis unfortunately I cannot eat spinach as I am blood thinners. It has to much Vit K in it and that works against the medication. So many things I can't have that I love.

I have printed this recipe, just in case I want to go ad be wild LOL

Hope your knee is better, My left one give me a total fit.

Mary

AnnMarie aka Vintage Junkie aka NaNa said...

This sounds wonderful! Printed it for this weeks menu and pinned it. Thanks for sharing.

Pattie @ Olla-Podrida said...

I have two containers of it in the freezer, one of grated and the other of shredded. I buy the freshest cheese I can find (usually at the local Italian grocer) and keep it in the freezer. It makes it so easy to use.

The Lazy Gastronome said...

That looks so good! What a delicious and healthier way to serve alfredo!

Rustown Mom said...

That looks, and sounds, delightful...and, go see an orthopedist...

Julie's Creative Lifestyle said...

Yum! This looks so good. Thanks for sharing this at C&C with J&J!

gluten Free A_Z Blog said...

This looks like the ultimate comfort food to me- cream, pasta, spinach, parmesan- oh! I'm drooling
Hope you feel better soon

Sandra Lee said...

Penne is one of my favorite kinds of pasta and this dish looks amazing. Rest easy and don't overdo it! Thank you for sharing with us this week at Celebrate Your Story, and I hope your week is going great.

Miz Helen said...

Your post is awesome and thanks so much for sharing it with us at Full Plate Thursday. Hope you are having a great day and come back to see us real soon!
Miz Helen