Baked Garlic Mushroom and Ricotta Pasta

Dig into a bowl of this Baked Garlic Mushroom and Ricotta Pasta dish - garlicky, cheesy and delicious!!

Garlic Mushroom Ricotta Pasta

If there is one ingredient I love with pasta it has to be ricotta. There is just something super indulgent about ricotta, especially when paired with garlic, other cheeses, veggies or protein along with the pasta.

Some of my favourite recipes on Slimming Eats using ricotta are:

• Spinach and Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells
• Butternut Squash and Ricotta Lasagne
• Ricotta Spinach Topped Chicken
• and when I fancy something sweet, this Lemon Ricotta loaf is delicious

Meat Free Ricotta Recipes

I seem to be on a bit of a theme in that all most of my ricotta recipes are meat free. It actually wasn't intentional, but I just find with the ricotta and healthy vegetables added it is delicious and filling enough as it is.

Of course to keep some of these truly vegetarian, make sure you use an Italian style hard cheese which is vegetarian-friendly instead of the Parmesan cheese.

What Does Ricotta Cheese Taste Like?

If you have never had ricotta cheese before it can be a hard one to describe. It has a kind of mild and creamy taste with a tiny grain like texture which can be a bit of a surprise to some when trying for the first time.

It works well in both sweet and savoury recipes and is a great source of protein.

What are the Best Mushrooms to use in Pasta Recipes?

In this recipe I like to use regular white mushrooms and then a mushroom with a bit more flavour, like portobello or cremini. Chanterelle and Porcini are great too but can be harder to source and a little more expensive.

A pack of dried mushrooms would be great in this recipe also, but just be sure to soak first in hot water to rehydrate. If they appear gritty you may want to rinse too, but that over washing can result in remove the flavour too, so I would only do this step if really needed.

Then chop and use as you would fresh mushrooms in any recipe.

Cooking vegetables with Stock

Often when doing a pasta or rice recipe and to avoid having to use lots of oil which can increase the calories, I will instead use a little bit of stock.

You just add a little bit in at a time, reducing it down around the vegetables before adding some more and repeating the process until the vegetables are lovely and softened as if you sauteed them in oil. Not only that but it also adds heaps of flavour.

Use a stock which compliments the dish you are making, so for this one I use vegetable stock, but if you can also use chicken.

Don't be tempted to skip the step of this process in the recipe, or it just will not have that same level of flavour. Also don't have the heat too low, as you need the stock to evaporate each time before you add enough bit. If you add it in all at once, it will just be sitting in liquid and won't saute down in a similar way it would in oil. It's a great trick I discovered decades ago now and you will see me use this quite often in my recipes to keep the flavour, but reduce the calories.

Occasionally though I really think a bit of oil is needed, and if so I will use it, but sparingly. About 1 tablespoon in a recipe that serves 4.

Best Pan for cooking Pasta Recipes

When I do any pasta recipe that finishes off as a bake in the oven. I will often use a pan that can be used on both the hob and in the oven. The beauty of that is you don't have to clean up several different pans and dishes afterwards. As you can start all the first parts on the stove and then just transfer to the oven to finish off.

So when choosing your favourite pan for cooking with opt for one that can be used in this way. There are lots of different brands, from non stick to cast iron like Staub and Le Creuset.

If you plan on using your pan for One Pot recipes also, I recommend going for a large circumference deep frying pan with a lid (also try and choose one that can go in the oven too). As otherwise if you use a pan that is too small, you can get uneven cooking and not as good a result.

Can I use any shape of pasta?

While I used penne in this recipe, you can really use any dried pasta you like, I recommend going for shapes though rather than pasta like linguine or spaghetti, although they will work okay if that is all you have. Stick to the same amounts in weight always.

Sides for Baked Garlic Mushroom Ricotta Pasta

To create a filling plate of food I like to pair this pasta dish with either a mixed salad with items such as:

• Baby Greens or Crisp Lettuce
• Tomatoes
• Cucumber
• Red Onion
• Shredded Carrot

and salad ingredients you like can be used in your salad.

Or if I don't fancy salad I will go for some roasted, steamed or sauteed vegetables like:

• Asparagus
• Broccoli/Tenderstem Broccoli
• Cauliflower
• French Beans
• Kale

More Mushroom Recipes

Looking for some other delicious low calorie Mushroom recipes? Check out these:

• Creamy Mushroom Stroganoff
• Pulled Mushrooms with BBQ Sauce
• Sweet Potato and Mushroom Curry
• Mustard Beef with Mushrooms
• Creamy Ham Mushroom Orzo
• Sticky Sriracha Mushroom Omelette
• Mushroom and Parmesan Chicken Meatballs
• Crustless Mushroom Quiche
• Portobello Mushroom Pizzas

or if you would like more recipe ideas - head on over to the FULL RECIPE INDEX where you will find over 900 delicious recipes all with estimated calories and you can search by ingredients, course, diet and more..

All with estimated calories and other Slimming plan values

LET'S CONNECT!!

Looking for the old version of this recipe?

Even though I am constantly improving old recipes and adding changes here and there, I know many of you get so used to a recipe made in a particular way that you hate any change. This recipe was recently update and improved on the 8 November 2022. But if you are looking for the old version of this recipe here it is below:

Ingredients:

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• cooking oil spray
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 400g/14oz of mushrooms, chopped
• 2 cups (480ml) of chicken or vegetable stock
• handful of fresh parsley, chopped
• 270g/9.5oz of  ricotta - 3 HEa's
• 30g/1oz of parmesan (or Italian hard cheese) - grated
• 1 egg, beaten
• 200g/7oz of uncooked pasta of choice (I used farfalle)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180c (350f)
2. Spray a frying pan over a medium high heat with cooking oil spray.
3. Add the onion and fry for a few minutes until softened.Add in the mushrooms and garlic and slowly add in 1 cup of the stock a bit at time, reducing down until you add another bit. This should give the mushrooms and onion a lovely golden colour. 
4. Add the pasta to a saucepan of boiling hot water and cook till al dente.
5. Once the 1 cup of stock has been totally reduced down into the mushrooms, stir in the chopped parsley and add in the other cup of stock and simmer for 5 minutes.
6. Remove from the heat. Whisk together the egg and ricotta and stir into the mushrooms.
7. Add in the pasta and mix to combine.
8. Sprinkle with the parmesan and season with some black pepper.
9. Cover with foil and bake covered for 20 mins, then remove the foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes until lightly golden on top.
10. Serve and enjoy!!