Mushroom Spinach Pasta Bake with Black Garlic
An easy and healthy weeknight dish with lots of veggies, this Mushroom Spinach Pasta Bake with Black Garlic has it all: Quick preparation time, vibrant greens, umami-rich fried mushrooms, supported by the balsamic notes of black garlic. The wholewheat pasta is smothered in a Marinara sauce while feta and mozzarella make it the perfect comfort food, adding satisfying cheese layers.
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Why You Will Love This
Super Easy
Having a bit of black garlic left and feeling the urgent need for pasta, but also meal prep for my workdays, I wanted a dish with lots of veggies that was quick to prepare. Especially considering I had some baking to do for my German Plum Streusel Cake. So something lazy on the dinner side of things was essential.
The main flavour and moisture for this Mushroom Spinach Pasta Bake with Black Garlic comes from ready made tomato sauce that is mixed in after boiling the pasta. You could add all of the vegetables raw to it, if you are really in a hurry, but for flavor and texture reasons, I prefer to fry them first.
Black Garlic Addiction
You can absolutely make this with just fresh garlic instead. I realise not everyone has black garlic at home (Make Black Garlic yourself! It’s fantastic!), but it adds an incredible fruity-balsamic-umami flavour to anything you use it with. Even cookies! So you know what could be for dessert. 😉
3 of your 5-a-day in one Comfy Bake
During my weight loss journey and while learning from the book “Fibre Fuelled“* I found that adding lots of vegetables to my meals is not just healthy for my body, but also keeps me fuller for longer with less calories. Hence adding Mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and spinach to this dish. It’s still incredibly comforting, just better for you.
Lighter than the Cream Version
While black garlic and mushrooms go incredibly well with cream, calorie heavy sauce isn’t exactly what I want to eat all week, given half a choice. So, I opted for a ready-made, good quality tomato sauce instead. This one was from a bottle and made of cherry tomatoes with basil and garlic, perfect for what I had in mind. Of course, you could make your own with canned tomatoes, but that defeats the easy weeknight meal, doesn’t it?
The Ingredients
- While you can use any pasta your heart desires for this bake, I used whole wheat Penne as I love the chewiness thy provide and their ability to soak up the sauce.
- The base flavor comes from slowly fried onions and some fresh garlic, just taken to the point of soft and translucent in a pan.
- For veggies mushrooms and spinach were my choice, as they are perfect for baking. Though I pre-fry them, to get all the amazing umami from crispy browned mushrooms into this Mushroom Spinach Pasta Bake and have the spinach a bit softened, to mix it easier into the pasta.
- The Marinara sauce adds extra veg content, and so do the fresh cherry tomatoes, which also look super pretty on top. Don’t leave them out, as they give extra fresh and juicy pops of flavour to this dish.
- Black garlic is mixed into the sauce for maximum flavor
- While I added some feta cubes for tang inside the casserole, I topped it with grated mozzarella for the cheese-string factor. An absolute must have for any comfort food needs in my mind.
- For extra crunch I topped the dish with Pangrattato with Herbs and Lemon Zest that I made the day before. So yummy!
Tip:
You can use any melty cheese you have in your fridge. It’s a perfect dish to use grated leftovers on. Also any veggie odds and ends you have lying around. Chop and throw them in.
The Process
Prepare the Veggies
All you need to do here is roughly chop your mushrooms (I usually quarter them, depending on size, as I love the chunky pieces, but you could also slice them if you prefer them smaller). Wash the spinach. Chop onion and garlic into small cubes and slice the black garlic (if using. This is really optional).
Pre-cook Pasta
Pre-cook your pasta according to packet instructions. Make sure it still has some bite. You don’t want it to go mushy when you bake it.
Fry Onions and Garlic. Then Mushrooms and Spinach
Slowly fry onion and garlic until translucent and soft. Take out of the pan. Add the mushrooms and fry until golden brown. Be patient here, don’t turn them too often. That is the secret to deliciously crispy edges and lots of flavour! Add the spinach and wilt briefly.
Assemble your Mushroom Spinach Pasta Bake with Black Garlic
Grease a casserole dish* with either butter or a few sprays of olive oil. Add the drained pasta, fried mushrooms, wilted spinach, onions, and garlic. Mix in Marinara sauce, crumbled feta, black garlic, and halved cherry tomatoes. Top with grated mozzarella and some fresh basil.
Bake
Bake for 20-25min and you have a steaming, cheesy comfort dish with lots of veggies ready.
Meal Prep
I find this is one of the easiest ways to do meal prep: Prepare a Mushroom Spinach Pasta Bake with Black Garlic, put it in the fridge and quickly re-heat in the microwave when I’m hungry. Ideal for those busy work weeks!
For more amazing Black Garlic Recipes check these:
Black Garlic Butter with Lemon
Burger with Black Garlic Aioli
Black Garlic Roast Chicken Summer Salad
Black Garlic Mushroom Salad with Berries and Blue Cheese
Sumac Roasted Cauliflower Steaks with Black Garlic Mushroom Sauce
Sourdough Oatmeal White Chocolate Chip Cookies with Black Garlic
Now I’d love to hear from you in the comments!
Have you tried this? Did you enjoy it?
What other recipes would you like to see?
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share. It helps me a lot.
Mushroom Spinach Pasta Bake with Black Garlic
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2.5 cups wholewheat pasta. I used penne here. You can use whatever you have in your pantry.
- 2 cups Marinara sauce Cherry tomato Marinara sauce is what I used here, as it’s particularly fruity. Use whichever you enjoy.
- 2 cloves garlic chopped
- 6 cloves black garlic optional
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 lb fresh mushrooms I used brown. Use whatever you have on hand.
- 1/2 lb spinach Fresh or frozen. If using frozen, thaw it in the pan instead of just wilting, so you can mix it in easily
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
- 1/2 lb feta About 1 block.
- 1 cup shredded mozzarella
- 1 bunch fresh basil leaves optional
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F).
- Grease a casserole dish with either butter or a few sprays of olive oil.
- Cook the pasta according to the package instructions until it’s al dente. Drain the pasta and set it aside.
- In a large skillet or frying pan, heat a bit of olive oil over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic and onion, sautéing until they become soft and translucent. Remove from pan.
- Add the fresh mushrooms to the pan and cook until they release their moisture and get golden brown and crispy around the edges. If you are using frozen spinach, add it now and cook until it is thawed, and any excess water evaporates. For fresh spinach, add and let it wilt for a minute or so.
Bake
- Add the drained pasta, fried mushrooms, wilted spinach, onions, and garlic. Mix in tomato sauce, crumbled feta, black garlic, and halved cherry tomatoes to your casserole dish. Top with grated mozzarella and some fresh basil.
- Bake for 20-25min and you have a steaming, cheesy comfort dish with lots of veggies ready.
- Serve with some fresh basil on top.
I made this mushroom spinach pasta bake with black garlic, and it’s incredible! Creamy, hearty, and so flavorful!
Thank you, so happy you liked it!
This pasta was absolutely incredible! I loved the flavor combination of the mushroom and black garlic.
Thank you!
Mushroom spinach pasta bake with black garlic is delicious I have tried it, I enjoyed making it .
Thank you, so glad you liked it. 🙂
I was gifted a tub of black garlic a few weeks ago, and I am working my way though a variety of recipes. I have to say, this one is probably my favourite so far! Nutritious, easy to make and decadent with all the cheese! Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad you enjoyed it! I started my Black Garlic addiction with a small tub I found in a local supermarket. When it ran out I knew I had to make my own. 🙂
This worked exactly as written, thanks!