Key Highlights :
When you're in the mood for a rich and velvety pasta but you're short on time, there's one type of canned soup that can be used as a creamy sauce: condensed cream of mushroom soup. 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 pre-made 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, condensed cream of 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 canned soup-based casseroles, 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? 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 intrinsic 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. 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. And if you're feeling especially ambitious, you can always use the cream of mushroom soup as a base and then add your own spices, herbs, and vegetables to make it your own. Either way, it's a great way to get dinner on the table in a pinch.