This pasta is seriously SO good! Creamy, garlicky, loaded with tender mushrooms, and completely dairy-free. It tastes indulgent but comes together with simple ingredients—perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. 😋
Ingredients:
- 12 oz fettuccine or linguine
- 16 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 small onion, finely chopped
- 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
- ¾ cup unsweetened cashew cream or vegan cooking cream
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp dried thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- ½ cup reserved pasta water, as needed
- Fresh parsley, chopped
Directions:
Cook the pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve about ½ cup of the pasta water.
Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 6–8 minutes until tender and lightly browned.
Add the onion and cook for another 2–3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and thyme and cook for about 30 seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium-low. Pour in the plant milk and cashew cream, then stir in the nutritional yeast, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, lemon juice, salt, and plenty of black pepper.
Simmer gently for 3–5 minutes until the sauce becomes creamy. Add a splash of reserved pasta water if you want a silkier, thinner sauce.
Add the drained pasta directly to the skillet and toss until every strand is coated in that creamy mushroom sauce. 🌱🍄
Finish with fresh parsley and extra cracked black pepper.
Serves: 4
Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 20 minutes
✨ Tip: For extra protein, toss in crispy tofu, white beans, or edamame.
Who else could eat a giant bowl of this creamy mushroom pasta tonight? 😍 SAVE this recipe so you don’t lose it! 🌱🍝
🌱 Want More Protein?
For a more filling, higher-protein meal, use chickpea or lentil pasta or add crispy tofu, tempeh, edamame, white beans, or vegan chicken-style pieces.
Using unsweetened soy milk rather than lower-protein plant milks can also give the dish a little extra protein while keeping the sauce creamy.
💡 Tips for the BEST Mushroom Pasta
Don’t overcrowd your mushrooms. If your skillet is small, brown them in two batches. Crowded mushrooms tend to steam instead of developing those delicious golden edges.
Make sure your plant milk is plain and unsweetened. Vanilla-flavored plant milk definitely doesn’t belong in mushroom pasta!
The reserved pasta water is another little secret. Its starch helps emulsify the sauce, making it cling to the pasta instead of pooling at the bottom of the bowl.
If your sauce becomes too thick after sitting for a few minutes, stir in another splash of warm plant milk or pasta water.
For an extra savory flavor, you can add 1 teaspoon white miso paste to the sauce. Since miso is salty, reduce the added salt accordingly.
🥛 Easy Cashew Cream
If you don’t have vegan cooking cream, soak ¾ cup raw cashews in very hot water for 20–30 minutes. Drain them and blend with about ½ cup fresh water until completely smooth.
For a nut-free version, use a soy- or oat-based vegan cooking cream instead.
🥦 Delicious Add-Ins
This recipe is easy to customize. Spinach can be stirred in during the final couple of minutes. Broccoli, asparagus, peas, sun-dried tomatoes, kale, or roasted zucchini also work beautifully.
For even more mushroom flavor, combine several varieties such as cremini, shiitake, oyster, or portobello mushrooms.
🧊 Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for about 3–4 days.
The sauce will thicken considerably once chilled. When reheating, add a splash of unsweetened plant milk or water and gently warm it on the stovetop, stirring until creamy again.
📊 Approximate Nutrition
With 4 servings, one serving is roughly 500–600 calories, depending heavily on the pasta, plant milk, cashew cream, and amount of oil used. Nutrition can vary substantially by brand and substitutions, so calculate from your specific ingredients if you need precise values.
🍄 Final Result
You get tender pasta + golden mushrooms + a velvety garlic cream sauce with plenty of savory flavor—all without dairy, eggs, or meat. 🌱