Creamy spinach & mushroom penne

Make a speedy, nutritious pasta supper with garlicky mushrooms and spinach. Cashew nuts and dried mushrooms create a deliciously creamy yet light sauce

Ingredients

• 175 g wholemeal penne
• 50 g unroasted, unsalted cashews
• 10 g dried porcini mushrooms
• 1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 120 g chestnut mushrooms, halved if large, thinly sliced
• 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
• 200 g baby spinach

Steps

1. Cook the penne following pack instructions and put the kettle on to boil. Meanwhile, put the cashews and dried mushrooms in a medium heatproof bowl along with the bouillon powder, and pour over 200ml boiling water from the kettle. Leave to soak for 5 mins. After this time, blitz the mixture with a hand blender until smooth and creamy.
2. Heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan over a medium heat and fry the fresh mushrooms and garlic for a couple of minutes until just starting to soften. Add the spinach and continue to cook, stirring frequently until the spinach has wilted. Drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Tip the pasta into the pan with the mushroom mixture, season with plenty of black pepper and toss everything together well. Remove from the heat and stir through the creamy mushroom sauce, adding a drop of the reserved cooking water if needed to loosen. Serve straightaway.