Spinach and Mushroom Rigatoni

We love this Mushroom Spinach Rigatoni 

• Hearty meatless dinner
• Veggies and pasta in one dish, perfect for a weeknight dinner
• Uses our favorite brand of jarred sauce, which makes this a breeze to cook.

Ingredients

• Pasta - I used rigatoni here as the larger space in the hollow of the pasta and the ridges will have a lot of room to hold on to the sauce and the veggies. But any pasta will work in this recipe - spaghetti, penne, bucatini, or even smaller pastas like ziti or macaroni.
• Vegetables - I have used shiitake mushrooms and baby spinach in this recipe. Shiitake and wild mushrooms are the only kind we love in our family, hence that choice. Packaged baby spinach is what I use in most recipes, purely from a convenience point of view especially when I am making it on a weeknight. Shallots and garlic add that extra base layer of flavor that will elevate this pasta dish significantly.
• Marinara sauce - for weeknight dinners, I almost always reach for our favorite brand of jarred sauce - Rao’s Marinara. The depth of flavors in this sauce is so robust that you won't believe it is from a jar.
• Seasonings - salt , pepper and red pepper flakes add the flavor seasoning to this mushroom and spinach pasta dish.

Method

• Cook the pasta in salted boiling water to al dente. Reserve some of the pasta water and drain.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan. Add the garlic and shallots to it. Saute till it all starts to brown.
• Wipe off the dirt from the mushrooms with a damp paper towel and slice them. Add the mushrooms to the pan and let them soften and start to crisp up just a little bit.
• Now add the chopped baby spinach to this and mix well. 
• Once the spinach has wilted, add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes (if using)
• Pour in the marinara sauce and let it come together for a minute or two.
• Now add the drained pasta to this and mix to incorporate well.
• If the sauce seems on the drier side, add some of the reserved pasta water and let it warm well.

Serving Suggestions

Since this pasta dish has the veggies in it already, there is no need for a salad or a vegetable side. You can always top with some freshly grated parmesan right after you portion it into individual bowls.

Tips to make this weeknight dinner friendly for busy families

• Do not shy away from buying jarred pasta sauce for this recipe. The sauce I recommend is as good or even better than any homemade marinara sauce that will take a super long time to make as well.
• Boxed and packaged baby spinach is a lifesaver, especially if it is prewashed. You are going to be heating it up anyway, so you can trust the prewash label and just put it in your pan. If you are using it raw in salad, then I may still wash it again.