Welcome to a culinary embrace in a bowl – our Creamy Tomato Mushroom Pasta. This dish isn’t just a meal; it’s a heartwarming journey to comfort, built on a rich, savory foundation of cream of mushroom soup, vibrant diced tomatoes, and nutrient-packed kale. Designed to soothe the soul and satisfy the palate, it embodies the essence of hearty, homemade goodness.
This post is sponsored by Campbell’s® and Yummly.
In our fast-paced lives, the search for comfort has become more pronounced than ever. It’s a universal craving that manifests in various forms, from wrapping ourselves in soft blankets and leisurewear to seeking out the perfect oversized armchair that feels like a warm hug. For many, this quest for solace extends directly to the kitchen and the dining table. Food possesses an incredible power to transport us, to evoke cherished memories, and to provide a tangible sense of well-being.
This deep-seated desire for comfort often steers our culinary choices towards dishes that are both familiar and deeply satisfying. There’s something uniquely reassuring about a meal served in a bowl, especially when it features the comforting embrace of carbohydrates. Pasta, in particular, stands out as the quintessential comfort food for countless reasons. Its endless versatility, approachable nature, and remarkable ease of preparation make it a go-to for busy weeknights and relaxed weekends alike.
Beyond its simple charm, pasta offers a canvas for a myriad of flavors, allowing for customization to suit any season or mood. At our house, any variation of tomato pasta is always met with enthusiasm, but we particularly cherish recipes that deliver a profound sense of warmth and coziness, especially during the colder months. This Creamy Tomato Mushroom Pasta, developed in partnership with our trusted friends at Campbell’s® and Yummly, has quickly become a beloved staple in our regular cold-weather rotation. It effortlessly bridges the gap between a quick, satisfying weeknight dinner and a more elaborate, comforting weekend meal, proving that delicious comfort food doesn’t have to be complicated.
The Magic Behind Creamy Tomato Mushroom Pasta
Creating this deeply flavorful and comforting pasta dish begins with selecting the right base for the sauce. Here, Campbell’s® Cream of Mushroom Soup plays a starring role, uniting with robust canned diced tomatoes to form a sauce that is both rich and perfectly balanced. The beauty of using a quality condensed soup like Campbell’s lies in its inherent depth of flavor, which jumpstarts the sauce and significantly reduces cooking time without compromising on taste. This means you’re building on an already delicious foundation, making your cooking process smoother and more efficient.
To cater to various dietary preferences, Campbell’s offers several excellent options. We often opt for Campbell’s® 25% Less Sodium Cream of Mushroom Soup, which allows for greater control over the overall sodium content of the dish. Alternatively, Campbell’s® Healthy Request® Cream of Mushroom Soup provides a heart-healthy choice, while the classic Cream of Mushroom Soup remains a tried-and-true favorite, consistently delivering that unmistakable, comforting taste.
The journey to this delicious pasta begins in a large skillet or sauté pan, where a tablespoon of olive oil is heated over medium-high heat. The first aromatics to hit the pan are chopped white onions. Sautéing them for 5-7 minutes until they turn soft and translucent forms the sweet and savory base of our sauce. This step is crucial, as properly caramelized onions add a wonderful depth of flavor. Next, minced garlic joins the onions, cooking for just about 30 seconds until its intoxicating aroma fills the kitchen. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it can quickly turn bitter.
Once the aromatics are fragrant, it’s time to build the heart of the sauce. Stir in the can of Campbell’s® Cream of Mushroom Soup, a generous can of diced tomatoes (undrained, to preserve their juices and flavor), a cup of water, a pinch of red pepper flakes for a subtle warmth, along with kosher salt and black pepper to taste. Mix everything thoroughly in the pan, ensuring all ingredients are well combined. Increase the heat to bring the sauce to a gentle boil, then reduce it to a low simmer. Allow the sauce to bubble gently for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it thickens to a luscious, creamy consistency. This simmering period is essential for the flavors to meld and deepen, transforming simple ingredients into a complex and satisfying sauce.
Mastering the Multi-Tasking Kitchen
Efficiency in the kitchen is key, especially when preparing a comforting meal on a busy schedule. This recipe is designed for multi-tasking, allowing you to prepare the pasta simultaneously with the sauce. While your creamy tomato mushroom sauce is simmering away on one burner, bring a large pot of generously salted water to a rolling boil on another. The salt in the pasta water is crucial; it seasons the pasta from within, enhancing its overall flavor. Once the sauce has achieved its desired thickness and the pasta water is boiling, add your chosen pasta shape to the pot and cook until it’s perfectly al dente, according to package instructions. Al dente, meaning “to the tooth,” refers to pasta that is firm yet tender, offering a pleasant chewiness that prevents it from becoming mushy when tossed with the sauce.
As the sauce simmers, you’ll notice its color deepen and transform from a light pink to a beautiful orangey-red, reflecting the rich concentration of flavors. This visual cue is a testament to the magic happening in your skillet. Once the pasta is al dente, use tongs to transfer it directly into the simmering sauce, allowing some of the starchy pasta water to come along with it. This starchy water helps to emulsify the sauce, making it even silkier and ensuring it beautifully coats every strand of pasta. Stir the pasta into the sauce until the noodles are thoroughly coated, absorbing all that wonderful creamy tomato goodness.
For this particular creamy sauce, pasta shapes with nooks and crannies are ideal. Corkscrew shapes like rotini and fusilli are perfect choices because their twists and grooves expertly trap the creamy sauce, ensuring every bite is bursting with flavor. Other excellent options include penne, rigatoni, or even shells, all of which are designed to hold onto rich sauces. Feel free to experiment with your favorite short pasta shapes to discover what you love most.
To add a vibrant touch of color, texture, and a boost of nutrients, we introduce fresh greens at the very end. Remove the skillet from the heat and gently fold in a cup of chopped curly kale. The residual heat from the pasta and sauce will wilt the kale slightly, softening it just enough while still allowing it to retain a pleasant, slightly firm bite. Adding kale at this stage ensures it doesn’t become overcooked or lose its vibrant green hue. If kale isn’t your preference, spinach or Swiss chard would also be excellent substitutes, wilting beautifully into the warm pasta.
Before serving, elevate the dish with a final flourish of fresh ingredients. Generously sprinkle the creamy tomato mushroom pasta with freshly shaved Parmesan cheese, which adds a salty, umami depth, and a scattering of vibrant chopped fresh parsley for a burst of freshness and color. A final grind of black pepper further enhances the flavors. This dish is perfect on its own, but for a complete and satisfying meal, serve it alongside a crisp mixed greens salad and a slice of warm, crusty bread. If you’re feeling ambitious and want to truly indulge, garlic bread makes for an irresistible pairing, perfect for soaking up every last drop of the exquisite creamy sauce.
Leftovers of this pasta are just as delightful and can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. When reheating, a splash of water or vegetable broth can help revive the sauce’s creaminess. This Creamy Tomato Mushroom Pasta is not just a recipe; it’s an invitation to savor a moment of culinary comfort, a delicious testament to the simple joys of a well-prepared meal.
Creamy Tomato Mushroom Pasta
Paige Adams
5 mins
25 mins
30 mins
4
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 small white onion, roughly chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 (10.5 oz.) can Campbell’s® Cream of Mushroom Soup (or 25% Less Sodium / Healthy Request)
- 1 (28 oz.) can diced tomatoes, undrained
- 1 cup water
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, plus more for serving
- 8 ounces rotini or fusilli pasta
- 1 cup chopped curly kale
- Shaved Parmesan and chopped parsley for serving
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Instructions
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or sauté pan. Add the onions and cook for 5-7 minutes until they begin to soften and become translucent. Add the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds, until fragrant.
- Stir in Campbell’s® Cream of Mushroom Soup, diced tomatoes (undrained), water, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened to your desired consistency.
- While the sauce is simmering, cook the pasta in a separate large pot of salted boiling water until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain the pasta, reserving a little pasta water if needed to adjust sauce consistency. Add the cooked pasta directly into the sauce in the skillet and stir to coat the noodles evenly. Remove the skillet from the heat.
- Fold in the chopped kale. The residual heat will gently wilt the kale while retaining some of its bite.
- Serve immediately, topped with shaved Parmesan and chopped fresh parsley. Season with an extra grind of black pepper before serving, if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Calories: 266kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 0.2mg | Sodium: 199mg | Potassium: 272mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 1684IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 69mg | Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Additional Info
Pasta & Noodles
Italian
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