One‑pot creamy chestnut mushroom, tomato & spinach penne
Speedy one‑pot pasta with chestnut mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach in a silky cream sauce — ready in 30 minutes for a fuss‑free weeknight supper.
Weeknight dinners should be rapid, comforting and require as little washing up as possible. This one‑pot penne does exactly that: chestnut mushrooms and spinach in a silky tomato‑cream sauce, all cooked in a single deep frying pan in 30 minutes.
It’s unfussy, reliably tasty and scales well—perfect when you need dinner on the table fast without sacrificing flavour.
Ingredients
- 350 g dried penne pasta
- 300 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 1 brown onion — medium, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed or finely sliced
- 400 g tinned chopped tomatoes
- 600 ml vegetable stock — hot
- 100 ml double cream
- 30 ml olive oil
- 5 ml dried oregano
- 5 ml dried chilli flakes — optional
- 100 g baby spinach
- 5 ml sea salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 40 g vegetarian hard cheese — grated, plus extra to serve
Instructions
Prepare the veg: trim and slice the chestnut mushrooms, peel and finely chop the brown onion, and crush or slice the garlic cloves.
Heat the olive oil in a large deep frying pan over a medium hob. Add the chopped brown onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft and translucent.
Add the sliced chestnut mushrooms and half the sea salt. Increase the heat by one notch and cook until the mushrooms release their moisture and turn golden.
Stir in the garlic cloves, dried oregano and dried chilli flakes, and cook for 1 minute until fragrant.
Pour in the tinned chopped tomatoes and hot vegetable stock, then add the dried penne pasta, the remaining sea salt and the black pepper. Stir so the pasta is submerged, bring to a gentle simmer, then cook uncovered, stirring every few minutes, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened.
Once the pasta is just cooked, reduce the heat to low and stir in the double cream and baby spinach. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the spinach has wilted and the sauce is glossy.
Remove the pan from the heat and stir through the grated vegetarian hard cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve straight from the pan with extra cheese if you like.
Tips
- Use hot vegetable stock so the pan returns to a simmer quickly when you add it — this shortens cooking time.
- If you prefer a lighter sauce, swap half the double cream for 100 ml crème fraîche; add it off the heat to prevent splitting.
- If the pasta looks dry before it’s cooked, add boiling water 50–100 ml at a time rather than increasing the heat.
- Make ahead: cook through step 6, cool, then refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Reheat gently on a low hob with a splash of water or stock.
- To avoid sticking, choose a deep frying pan with a wide base and stir from the bottom every few minutes while the pasta cooks.
Substitutions
dried penne pasta → dried rigatoni or fusilli, same quantity (350 g)
Stays closedouble cream → 100 g crème fraîche, added off the heat
Noticeably differentvegetable stock → chicken stock, same quantity (600 ml)
Noticeably differentchestnut mushrooms → 200 g diced aubergine, roasted first for 10 minutes
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 610
- Calories
- 17 g
- Protein
- 75 g
- Carbs
- 27 g
- Fat
- 6 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
- Sugar
- 650 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this gluten‑free?
Yes—use 350 g gluten‑free dried pasta and check your stock is gluten‑free. Cooking time may be slightly shorter, so check the package instructions and taste for doneness.
How do I stop the cream from splitting?
Lower the heat before adding the cream and stir it in gently. Avoid boiling once the cream is added and finish the dish on a low heat or off the hob.
Can I add protein (chicken/sausages)?
Yes—slice 300 g cooked chicken or pre‑cooked sausages and add them in step 6 to warm through. If raw, cook them in step 2–3 until just done, then proceed.
Why did my pasta stick to the pan?
Most likely because the pasta wasn’t submerged or the sauce was too hot too quickly. Keep the pasta covered by liquid, stir regularly, and add a splash of boiling water if needed.
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