The Canned Soup That Can Double As A Creamy Pasta Sauce
Homemade pasta sauce is a delicious and rewarding endeavor, but it's also a lot of work the average weekday night. Who really wants to stand over a hot stove to stir a simmering sauce after eight to 10 hours on the clock? And while there are plenty of premade pasta sauces that will do fine with a little doctoring up, who hasn't discovered too late in the game that they actually don't have any sauce left in their pantry? Never fear, there's a quick fix for that problem: Canned soup can come to your rescue! Specifically, canned mushroom soup.
Think about it, mushroom soup is already well-seasoned with plenty of garlic. It's velvety and buttery, just like you want any cream-based pasta sauce to be. And, as you know from those hearty casserole recipes, it goes well with all sorts of noodles. So why not give it a try the next time you're running short on sauce and time?
Using soup as sauce is super easy
Cream of mushroom soup turned sauce is as easy as opening the can and heating it up. You can even do it in the microwave (just remove the soup from the can first and zap it in a microwave-safe bowl). Pour it over some noodles and there you have it — easy peasy rotini (or penne or spaghetti or whatever you choose) and mushroom sauce. Of course, that's just the most basic way to throw a quick and effortless dinner together.
Assuming you are hungrier than that, there are also plenty of ingredients that you can toss in to beef it up — including, well, cooked beef, chicken, or a handful of frozen shrimp. Fresh or frozen mushrooms are a sensible pairing that will elevate the soup's instrinsic earthy flavors. Keep it simple by grabbing a few items from the pantry, fridge, or freezer. Got a bag of frozen vegetable medley, some baby spinach, or a can of peas? Anything to that same effect will do. Just warm it all up together in the microwave or in a pot on the stove. Toss in some shredded cheese or top with parmesan if the mood strikes you. Really, you can do as little or as much as you want when it comes to this presentation, but less tends to be more when you're famished and in a hurry.
Should you add water to the sauce?
Condensed cream of mushroom soup can be used as is. While it is a little thick and high in sodium, pasta sauce tends to have a comparable saltiness as well as a similar thickness. But you can add a little bit of pasta water (or cream) to thin it down and cut the salt if you prefer. Ultimately though, it's a matter of taste. And if you're putting in other ingredients such as frozen vegetables, they will add a little bit of liquid as they defrost so be careful not to cut it down too much if you do decide to add water. Definitely don't use the same one-to-one ratio that is called for in preparing the cream of mushroom as a soup!
The whole point of using canned mushroom soup in place of pasta sauce is to keep it simple, so try not to overthink it or worry too much about the outcome. It's pretty much guaranteed to be easy and delicious as is.
Do other canned soups work as pasta sauce?
Of course! But you'll want to stick with condensed soups as the ready-to-cook version will be too thin and watery to be used as a makeshift sauce. Some fun and tasty options include a can of cream of broccoli or cream of onion soup. Either can be enhanced with some steamed or sautéed vegetables and any herbs or spices that grab your attention. Campbell's even makes a cream of leek and potato soup that could work exceptionally well with gnocchi or rigatoni.
What about regular tomato soup? The comfort food classic can certainly be used as a substitute for sauce, but you'll want to add a few ingredients to liven it up a little bit. Consider some fresh or dried basil, garlic, onion powder, and maybe even a few shakes of an Italian spice blend. Instead of using a tiny bit of water to thin it down, use half and half or cream for a richer flavor. And definitely garnish with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese if you have any on hand.
Overall, there are plenty of options. Even if you're all out of canned mushroom soup, chances are you've got some kind of creamy condensed soup in your pantry that will be delicious over noodles. There's really no reason to skip out on pasta for dinner just because you don't have the usual sauce.