Description
Pasta Fresca is a delightful Italian-inspired dish featuring penne pasta tossed with a savory medley of mushrooms, tomatoes, spinach, and capers in a balsamic vinegar sauce. Finished with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley, this pasta dish is bursting with flavor and perfect for a satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Pasta:
- 1 lb. penne pasta, cooked al dente
Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil + more for tossing pasta
- 1/2 small red onion, sliced
- 8 oz. baby Bella mushrooms, sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 3.5 oz. jar capers, drained
- 4 cups fresh baby spinach, roughly chopped
- 1/4 cup heavy cream, optional
- Kosher salt, fresh cracked pepper
Garnish:
- 1/2 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
- fresh chopped parsley
Instructions
- Cook pasta: Cook pasta until al dente. Toss in olive oil.
- Prepare sauce: Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion, mushrooms, salt, and pepper. Cook for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and Italian seasoning, cook for another minute.
- Add ingredients: Pour in balsamic vinegar, tomatoes, capers, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes.
- Finish dish: Stir in spinach until wilted. Add cream if desired. Toss in cooked pasta, warm through. Season to taste.
- Serve: Garnish with parsley and Parmesan. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can adjust the amount of heavy cream to suit your taste preferences.
- Feel free to add grilled chicken or shrimp for extra protein.
- For a vegetarian option, use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Sauté, Simmer
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 480
- Sugar: 8g
- Sodium: 670mg
- Fat: 14g
- Saturated Fat: 5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 75g
- Fiber: 6g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 20mg
Keywords: Pasta Fresca, Italian pasta recipe, balsamic pasta, vegetarian pasta dish
