This decadent vegan mushroom pasta is a marriage between two of our most popular recipes, vegan cream of mushroom soup and award-winning mac and cheese. Full of umami, if you're a serious mushroom-lover this pasta has your name all over it! Serve the pasta straight from the stovetop or bake it with a cheesy breadcrumb topping. Easily made gluten-free and nut-free.
This recipe was originally published in April 2020 and has been updated with new photos, content, and a few recipe changes.
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Why You'll Love It
Sometimes you want comfort food like mac and cheese. Sometimes you want veggies. And sometimes you crave something SO rich with umami, all you want to do is bury your face in a giant bowl of sautéed garlicky mushrooms. You feel me?
Well, this creamy vegan mushroom pasta just might be the answer to all of those cravings because it's:
- impossibly creamy and luxurious
- garlicky, salty, and cheesy
- packing serious mushroom flavor!
- a delicious way to eat spinach or other greens
- gluten-free if you use a GF pasta
- and it has a hint of rosemary that takes it to the next level (although you can skip the rosemary if you're not into it)
Update: also inspired by our cream of mushroom soup recipe, check out this creamy vegan mushroom stew!
Ingredient Notes
- pasta - I like bite-size pasta in this dish, like penne, shells, or rotini, but spaghetti or fettuccine work, too! Use any type of pasta that suits your dietary needs.
- fresh mushrooms - I used cremini, also called baby bella, which creates a darker colored sauce. Feel free to use white button mushrooms instead.
- dried mushrooms - you can often find these near the produce section of the grocery store. Or order them online. Or if it's easier for you, simply increase the amount of fresh mushrooms used and skip the dried mushrooms altogether.
- cashews - raw cashews lend fat, richness, and creaminess to our dairy-free sauce. If you don't own a high speed blender, feel free to soak them overnight for easier blending.
- vegan cheese - adds a wonderfully cheesy undertone to the sauce and contributes to the consistency.
- miso - adds saltiness and even more umami. If you don't have miso, increase the tamari/soy sauce by about 50% and be sure to to taste the finished dish and season as needed. Many varieties are gluten-free, such as Miso Masters brand, but be sure to check the labels if GF is needed.
How to Make Vegan Mushroom Pasta
Here's a quick summary to give you an idea how easy it is to pull this dish together.
If you're a visual person, be sure to watch the recipe video below.
- Steep dried mushrooms and rosemary in boiling water.
- Sauté garlic and mushrooms in vegan butter.
- Cook and drain the pasta.
- Blend up the cheesy sauce, which includes the steeped mushrooms AND a portion of the sautéed garlic and shrooms.
- Pour the sauce into the pan with the rest of the sautéed mushrooms, and bring to a simmer.
- Add the pasta.
- Add the spinach, and cook until dark green and wilted.
And that's it! Just let the pasta rest for about 10 minutes. This allows the sauce to thicken a bit and the flavors to mingle.
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Or if you're craving baked mushroom pasta with a cheesy topping....
Variation: Baked Mushroom Pasta
For a baked version:
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 C). Combine breadcrumbs, olive oil, and salt in a bowl.
- In addition to the package of vegan cheese slices that went into the blended sauce, you'll be using another pack of cheese. Grate it. Stir about half of the grated cheese into the pasta.
- If your pan is oven-safe, you're good to go. If it's not, transfer the mac and cheese to a 3 quart baking dish.
- Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on top, then top with the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and breadcrumbs are crisp and golden.
Substitutions
- mushrooms - feel free to use any fresh mushrooms you like or have on hand, such as white button, shiitake, or portobello.
- cheese - if you prefer not to use store-bought vegan cheese, simply reduce the amount of water added to the blender by about ½ cup and add more salt and nutritional yeast to taste.
- tamari - or soy sauce (not GF).
- miso - I first shared this recipe as a mushroom mac and cheese, and that's where the miso comes in. It adds a salty, rich, slightly fermented flavor that works well in vegan cheese recipes.
But! As mentioned above, if you don't have miso, increase the tamari/soy sauce by about 50% and be sure to to taste the finished dish and season as needed.
How to Store
Leftover mushroom pasta will keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. Hot tip: the mushroom flavor is even better after a night in the fridge!
Freezing not recommended.
More Recipes With Mushrooms
I hope you enjoy this vegan mushroom pasta! Be sure to leave a comment and a star rating below if you give it a try.
If you’re on instagram tag a photo of your dish with @myquietkitchen. I always love to see what you’re cooking!
Recipe Video
Tap to play the video and see how to make this ultra creamy vegan mushroom pasta!
Recipe
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ ounce dried mushrooms, such as porcini or shiitake
- 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, optional
- 3 cups water, divided
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 12 ounces cremini and/or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 1 tablespoon tamari - or soy sauce
- ¾ cup raw cashews - See Notes for nut-free; soak if not using high-speed blender
- 7 ounces mild vegan cheese such as Violife, Chao, or Follow Your Heart, cut into cubes - For baked version, you'll need an additional 7 oz package, see below
- 2 tablespoons chickpea or white miso
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour/starch
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¾ teaspoon onion powder
- dash freshly grated nutmeg
- 6 ounces raw baby spinach
- 16 ounces pasta of choice - regular, whole wheat, or gluten-free.
- black pepper
For optional baked version:
- 7 ounces shredded vegan cheese
- ¾ cup coarse breadcrumbs or panko
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Bring 1 cup of water to a boil. Combine dried mushrooms and rosemary in a small bowl, and add the boiling water. Set aside to steep for 20 minutes.
- Preheat a large saute pan over medium/low heat (optional -- if making the baked version, choose an oven-proof skillet large enough to hold the finished pasta (3 liter/quart); use it during both the sauteing and baking.) Add butter and garlic to the pan and sauté for about 1 minute. Increase heat to medium, and add the sliced mushrooms. Stirring occasionally, saute until the mushrooms are tender, about 15 minutes. Add the tamari, and cook for another minute or so. Remove from heat, and measure out a heaping ½ cup of the mushroom/garlic mixture.
- Heat a large pot of water for the pasta. Salt it generously, and cook pasta until not quite al dente. The pasta will finish cooking in the sauce. Drain in a colander.
- In a high-speed blender combine the steeped mushroom-rosemary mixture (including the liquid), ½ cup cooked mushroom mixture, cashews, 1 package cheese, miso, tapioca, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, and nutmeg. Blend until completely smooth.
- Pour the sauce into the saute pan with the mushrooms (if pan isn't large enough to hold the finished recipe, use the pasta pot). Bring to a simmer, and add the cooked pasta to the sauce. Stir to coat. Add the spinach, and cook for a few more minutes or until spinach is wilted and dark green. Taste and add salt and pepper, if desired. For stovetop version, set aside to rest and thicken for 10 to 15 minutes before serving.
For baked version:
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C). Combine breadcrumbs, olive oil, and salt in a small bowl.
- Fold about half of the shredded cheese into the pasta. If you need to transfer the pasta to a baking dish, do that now. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, followed by the breadcrumb mixture.
- Bake for 15 minutes or until breadcrumbs are lightly brown and crisp. Broil for 2 to 3 minutes, if needed. Let rest 10 minutes, and serve.
Notes
Estimated Nutrition (per serving)
Nutrition information is an estimate and will vary depending on the exact amounts and specific products and ingredients used.
Connie Cole says
This makes a large dish of delish but... just 2 in the family. Can this be frozen?
Lori says
Hi Connie,
Glad you like the flavor! Sometimes the texture of pasta can be a little weird after freezing. But if you don't think you'll be able to finish it within 4 to 5 days, yes I would definitely go ahead and freeze it.
Roger says
Flavourful combination of ingredients.