Five Ingredient Penne Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms

Looking for easy pasta recipes? My 5-Ingredient Penne Pasta with Portobello Mushrooms dish is not only delicious but it is also vegetarian and vegan.

This dish is great for busy weeknights and anyone who wants some meatless Monday inspiration.

Penne pasta recipe is good for the whole family, especially the picky toddlers! Also, 5-Ingredient Penne Pasta is best after a long day when you don’t want to have to think about dinner.

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Original Post: January 2023 | Post Updated: December 2023

Why this recipe works

Easy pasta dishes like this are good foundations to build on. When you learn to make a cooked pasta dish using short ingredient lists, it will help bring out your creative side in the kitchen when you’re ready to create new recipes. Olive oil and salt are generally a pantry staple which is an added bonus.

This is a healthy pasta dish using simple ingredients.

What’s wonderful about penne pasta recipes is that they are so interchangeable. This recipe is also great for the entire family or if you have a dual diet household with one person who eats meat and the other doesn’t. You can easily add italian sausage, chicken sausage, rotisserie chicken or a piece of salmon.

Other recipes to try: Roasted Sheet Pan Tofu and Sweet Potato Rice Bowl, Vegetarian Lasagna Soup and also my Roasted Parmesan Cauliflower Steaks.

Ingredients 

• Penne pasta of your choice. For this I use gluten free penne from Barilla. You can also use regular pasta if you like.
• Portobello mushrooms. These mushrooms are juicy and definitely take on a meaty texture when cooked.
• Baby spinach leaves. I like spinach because not only is packed with nutrients, it’s mild enough not to over power the other flavors in this delicious meal.
• Sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil. You can find this in Trader Joe’s or even regular supermarkets. I chose sun-dried tomatoes because they have so much flavor and work well with the mushrooms.
• Italian seasoning. I’m kind of a seasoning snob and I really do love the Italian seasoning from Flavor God. I think what it is is that they use paprika in the blend. So to me that is game changing and really adds a nice zest to the Italian seasoning. You can always substitute with what you have on hand.
• There are only 2 pantry staples needed: salt and extra virgin olive oil.

How to make 5-Ingredient Penne Pasta

1. In a large pot of salted water, start by cooking the penne according to the package directions. While the pasta cooks, start on the mushrooms. 
2. Preheat the grill pan, over medium-low heat then add the olive oil. Season the portobello mushrooms on both sides with a touch of salt and Italian seasoning. Then add them to the pan, flipping every 5 minutes. Total cook time for the mushrooms should be about 17-18 minutes. The mushrooms will be done when you press on the center with the tongs and it is juicy and more soft. Remove from pan and set aside. Slice or cube when adding to the pasta. 
3. When the penne is al dente, drain the pasta water and then add it back to the pan. 
4. Add the spinach leaves and sun-dried tomatoes to the hot pasta. Then add the portobello mushrooms. Gently toss to combine. Season with additional salt if needed. 
5. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove top using a large skillet.

Helpful tips

Here is a couple of tips on Portobello Mushrooms:

• You will want to remove the stems.
• Spray them with water to get any excess dirt off of them and then lay them on baking sheet to dry.
• Store Portobello’s whole versus slicing them. They will stay fresher longer if you keep them whole.

Serving suggestions and other alternatives for this 5-Ingredient Penne Pasta

Here are some suggestions on how to ingredient swap while making this.

• You can replace the portobello mushrooms with leftover chicken and add a creamy white sauce and a dash of black pepper to make this a chicken penne pasta.
• Ground beef can be used and throw in some cherry tomatoes. Let the cherry tomatoes cook down and when they burst open, it will make a simple sauce.
• Switch out spinach for bell peppers
• Use an Alfredo sauce or spaghetti sauce.
• Add another kind of pasta sauce, like my Simple Roasted Vegetable Sauce or if seasonally available, a pumpkin sauce.
• For a little heat, you can add red pepper flakes or sprinkle pepper jack cheese on top.
• Add a little bit of parmesan cheese on top with fresh parsley.
• Toss in fresh basil.
• if you don’t have dried seasonings, use fresh garlic
• A refreshing green salad or warm garlic bread sticks would be a great accompimient to this dish. Also a crisp glass of white wine will pair well.

Recipe inspiration 5-Ingredient Penne Pasta

I enjoy a delicious recipe that is flavorful and fast to make because that gives me more free time to work on other things or enjoy time with my family. Portobello mushrooms are one of my favorite “meaty” additions to vegetarian cooking and they work well in this simple recipe. This penne pasta tastes good the next day and can be made into a whole other dish by following the ingredient swap list above.

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