Filled with mushrooms and chile peppers, this pasta has a rich, creamy (and healthy!) sauce that tastes both decadent and delicious. Perfect for a weeknight meal, it is ready in under 30 minutes!
We officially have a few weeks of school under our belt, and life has been CRAZY! Do you ever feel like no matter how many hours there are in the day, you can never catch up??? That is definitely the season of life that I am in right now. My husband is working extra long hours this fall, getting home much later than normal, which leaves me alone with 3 kids 4 and under for loooooooong days. Since I usually pass the kids off to my hubby when he comes home so I can get some things done, I’m trying to adjust to not being able to do that for a few months. And what am I realizing? I can get some stuff done with the kids around, but I won’t be able to do everything. As much as I love crossing items off my to-do list, it just is not going to be possible to get it all done right now. Luckily, I know that it is only for a few months (3 1/2 more to be exact!), so there is an end in sight.
Right now, I am surviving on quick and easy dinners that don’t require a ton of pots and pans or prep work. This pasta definitely fits the bill. I love the combination of mushrooms and peppers, they add such a great flavor to this dish. My kids weren’t exactly crazy about the mushrooms and peppers, but they did gobble up the pasta, so that’s always a good sign. The reduced fat cream cheese in the sauce gives it a great creaminess while keeping it pretty healthy. You could also add some chicken or shrimp on top for some extra protein!
- 13 ounces whole wheat spaghetti
- 1 red onion, diced
- 2 hatch chiles, seeded and diced*
- 8 ounces white mushrooms, diced
- 2 T olive oil
- 1/4 cup flour
- 1 cup evaporated milk**
- 2 cups 1% milk
- 8 ounces neufchatel cheese (aka reduced fat cream cheese), at room temperature
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- Set out cream cheese so it can warm to room temperature. Cook spaghetti according to package directions, and drain. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat and add chile peppers, mushrooms, and onion. Saute for 5-6 minutes, until they are softened and all the water from the mushrooms is evaporated. Add in flour, and whisk. Pour in evaporated and 1% milk, whisking constantly until the mixture starts to boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, and turn it down to medium low heat to simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce has slightly thickened. Add the cream cheese in small chunks, whisking it in until it is all melted. Season will salt and pepper, adjusting the seasonings to taste. Enjoy!
Happy back to school! Oh I know all about those loooong days. Here’s wishing you a smooth transition into fall. xo
Thanks for stopping by, Aimee! 🙂
This pasta dish looks delicious and perfect for quick dinners. Hope you survive the long days with the kiddos!
Thanks, Kathy! 🙂
My kind of comfort food for sure!
Hi Kalee,
This is definitely my kind of dish. I am quickly assembling a list of quick and easy dinners for weeknights as it gets super busy here for us in the Fall and we don’t even have kids yet, lol.
School doesn’t start till after the Labour Day weekend here and I know lots of moms are looking forward to it, lol.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Haha, well I think everyone can benefit from quick weeknight dinners. Life gets so busy! 🙂
I am all for quick meals, and this sounds absoluely delicious! <3 Can't wait to try making it! 😀
Thanks, Farrah! 🙂
Love this rich, creamy and flavourful pasta. And also loved that this is so quick and easy. Lovely share!:)
Thank you Anu!
I’m going to make this tonight but make it with a cheddar cheese sauce instead, it looks absolutely delicious!
This looks amazing!! Mushrooms are probably my favorite vegetable (fungi..?!). I could probably eat them on anything and everything.
Thanks, Emily! I love mushrooms too 🙂