Creamy Mushroom and Bell Pepper Pasta
A creamy mushroom and bell pepper pasta with arugula that is ready in 15 minutes. An easy cream sauce made with marscapone cheese.
After much thought and deliberation, I have made an important decision. I know the super power I would posses if I could. Ready for it?
Time manipulation.
I would be able to stop time. Like at 5:30am when the alarm goes off, I would stop time and go back to sleep for as long as I like. Or if I only had 1 day to go on vacation, I would stop time so that 1 day could stretch into a whole week.
I would be able to speed time up. Like that day I had to waste at Jury Duty last year. I could just fast forward the 8 hours until it was done.
The best would be going back in time. So when Shawn and I are old and gray, I could go back in time and do everything all over again. And maybeeee I would remember some winning lottery numbers so this time we could go thru life filthy rich.
I’ve given this a lot of thought, and I think it is the best super power of all.
Sadly, I have not come across a genie who will grant me my wish. So for now, I am making the most of the time I have. That includes super fast and easy 15 minute recipes like this creamy mushroom and bell pepper pasta. I timed myself, and from walking into the kitchen to walking back out with our plates of pasta was under 15 minutes.
The secret to the super fast creamy sauce is just 2 ingredients: marscapone cheese and some pasta cooking water. I have recently become obsessed with marscapone cheese. It’s like a very light and mild cream cheese.
This creamy mushroom and bell pepper pasta is vegetarian, and perfect for Meatless Monday. With the heart mushrooms you don’t even miss the meat.
Creamy Mushroom and Bell Pepper Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 pound fusilli pasta, or any pasta of choice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and removed, chopped into 1" pieces
- 8 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4" thick
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 8 ounce container marscapone cheese
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
- 3 cups baby arugula, about 2 big handfuls
- red pepper flakes for garnish, optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium high heat. Cook the bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, salt and pepper until softened and the mushrooms begin to turn golden brown, about 8 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until the garlic is fragrant. Add the marscapone cheese and allow to melt.
- Reserve 1 cup of the pasta cooking water, then drain the cooked pasta. Add the drained pasta to the skillet, top with parmesan cheese, and toss to combine. Add in the arugula and toss. The heat from the pasta will gently wilt the arugula. Add in pasta water to thin the pasta sauce if necessary. Allow to sit for 2 minutes so the pasta can absorb some of the sauce. Taste for salt and pepper, season with more to taste.
- Serve warm, with red pepper flakes if desired.
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35 Comments on “Creamy Mushroom and Bell Pepper Pasta”
Oh yeah, totally agree on the time manipulation. 100 percent. And my second wish would be you sending me a hot bowl of this pasta ;). It looks amazing!
I think you are onto something! I can definitely think of a few times time manipulation would come in handy!
And this pasta! I have currently been on a MAJOR pasta kick, so I have got to try this!
Yeah, I wish I could stop time or fast forward or go back in time. Can’t imagine though how crazy our world would be if that was possible.
This pasta looks so yummy! Even though it doesn’t have any meat, I could totally eat this for supper tonight. Delicious!
Natalie, it’s pasta dishes like this that I live for!!! and the only way to survive the work week!!!! love the mascarpone cheese!!!! looks so good!!!
Did someone say marscapone?! This looks to die for and I love the bright colors. Pinning!
This pasta has my name written all over it :) Love the creamy sauce and that it’s so fast. And I’d love to be able to go back in time! I’d be 28 on my wedding day in the moutains every day!
Mascarpone cheese is one of my favorites!
I wish I could manipulate time too!
Maybe fast forward to dinner time so I can have this pasta ;-)
That is one creative superpower Natalie. I’d love to have one like that as well. I’d only use it once for the lottery and then I’ll be able to be on vacation for the rest of my life and wake up whatever time I want to. :)
This pasta is creamy dreamy wonderful. I love anything with mascarpone, so delish.
Count me in! I always think about the time turner Hermione has in Harry Potter. What I wouldn’t do for a few extra hours in each day! This pasta is just the type of meal I love. Quick and satisfying!
I love the idea of extending vacation. Can I make my one week turn into 2? That would be fabulous…as is this pasta. Hubs would go crazy over that creamy mushroom. Mmm….
15 mintues! I’m sold! Oh and I’m also sold on the mascarpone. It’s so good. I love that you used it in a savory application here. YUM!
Wouldn’t that be such an awesome super power to have?! You know I love pasta salads and that sauce sounds so incredible!
Stopping time would be a fantastic superpower! I would like to be able to disappear and reappear in another place. How convenient that would be. Almost as convenient as a 15 minutes cheezy pasta. This marscapone muchroom sauce looks awesome!
That would be an awesome superpower to have! How about being able to beam food through a computer screen? That would be pretty cool too then I could beam over this gorgeous pasta salad!:) I love that how quickly this comes together and that you used mascarpone cheese! Such a great idea!
I TOTALLY hear you on the one, Nat. I wish I could stop time, especially when I have lots of work to do!!
I absolutely love this pasta because of this cheese. I love marscapone cheese, but do yo believe I’ve never made a sauce with it??!! What a smart idea! Hope you have a wonderful week ;-)
Natalie! I’ve thought about this too, and stopping time has always been the superpower that I wished I had! Did you ever watch Out of This World when you were growing up? :) I never thought about speeding time up, though. That would certainly be nice, like when I have to go to the dentist. And it would be sooo nice to be able to go back and relive certain moments.
I love easy pasta dishes and this one looks delicious. The mascarpone cream sauce sounds so good!
Out of This World! Yes! When she would touch her fingers together! And talk to her dad through that glass pyramid thing. I have got to look that up on YouTube, haha!
mmmmmm!! This looks fantastic!! I can’t wait to make it.
You would love this one Nicole! Plus, it’s vegetarian : )
I hear you on that one! The ability to stop time would be really handy! This pasta looks so comforting!
Haha! Natalie, you totally crack me up. I gotta admit that that would definitely be an awesome superpower to have. I would totally use it to make summer vacay last FOREVER. Lol.
Now about this pasta….umm if you need ANYBODY to pass those leftovers on to, I want you to know that I am your girl. ;) I can hardly stand how creamy and comforting it looks!!
I definitely wish I could stop time too, especially when my alarm goes off in the mornings! This pasta sounds fantastic, Natalie! I’m practically addicted to mushrooms, so this looks just perfect!