Vegan Mushroom Pasta

Our vegan mushroom pasta recipe is inspired by an Italian dish with mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.

The pasta is chewy and al dente. The sauce is naturally creamy, earthy, garlicky, and sweet from the cherry tomatoes.

The recipe is quick and simple, perfect for weeknights. However, thanks to its rich and gourmet-like flavors, it's also great if you have guests, especially vegan or vegetarian ones.

You can make this recipe with most mushroom varieties in your local grocery store. Our favorites are easy-to-find white mushrooms combined with portobello mushrooms.

The most important tip is to brown the mushroom on the hot pan to boost flavor. It's easier than it sounds; we'll show you how in a second.

Quantities are in the recipe box at the bottom of the page.

Pasta

You can use any pasta type for this recipe, but we recommend long-shaped pasta like spaghetti, linguine, bavette, and egg-free tagliatelle.

We love egg-free tagliatelle because they are chewy and hug mushrooms and tomatoes.

To make the recipe gluten-free, substitute gluten-free pasta for wheat pasta.

Remember that most dry Italian-made pasta is naturally vegan; it's made with two ingredients: durum wheat semolina flour and water.

Mushrooms

We use white button mushrooms mixed with portobello mushrooms.

You can use other fresh mushroom varieties such as cremini mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, baby bellas, brown mushrooms, chanterelles, and more.

We don't recommend shiitake mushrooms in this recipe.

Tomatoes

Pick small tomatoes like cherry, plum, or grape tomatoes. Their naturally sweet taste goes well with the mushrooms and looks excellent with the tagliatelle.

Parsley

We prefer flat-leaf parsley over other fresh herbs because it is commonly used in Italian mushroom pasta recipes and tastes lovely with mushrooms.

You can replace it with a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme.

Garlic

Finely minced garlic or mashed with a garlic masher.

Olive oil

We use olive oil for cooking mushrooms because it's more stable at high temperatures than vegan butter.

Vegan Butter

We add a couple of tablespoons of vegan butter to the mushrooms and the pasta to create a velvety and creamy mouth feel.

If you don't have vegan or dairy-free butter, you can easily replace it with more olive oil.

Salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes

We use sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and red pepper flakes to add taste and heat.

We prefer not to add tamari or soy sauce, vegan cream, vegan parmesan cheese, lemon juice, pine nuts, spinach, coconut milk, cashew cream, or other plant-based cheese or cream alternatives, but you can do so if you like.

Tip: Save a cup of cooking water before draining your pasta.
We add some to the sauce. Pasta cooking water contains starch, which will help us make the sauce creamy.

Make the mushroom sauce

Clean and chop the mushrooms. To clean the mushrooms, rub the dirt off with a paper towel if not soiled.

It's best not to wash the mushrooms with water because they'll absorb it and get soggy.

Cook the chopped mushrooms on high heat in a large skillet with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and black pepper for about 5 minutes.

In general, mushrooms will release water while you cook them. So keep cooking them until all the water is gone and the pan is dry.

Lower the heat to medium, and cook the mushrooms to brown them.

Add minced garlic, half of the vegan butter, and halved cherry tomatoes.

Cook on medium heat for another 5 minutes or until the tomatoes are soft and release their juices.

Stir occasionally, then when the sauce is ready, add the chopped parsley.

Cook and toss the pasta

Add the pasta to a large pot with salted boiling water and cook as per package instructions minus one minute.

When the pasta is done, reserve one cup of the cooking water, drain the pasta, and add it to the pan with the mushrooms.

Add the remaining vegan butter, one ladleful of reserved pasta water, and freshly ground black pepper.

Toss the pasta on medium-high heat for one to two minutes. Add more reserved pasta water if necessary.

Serve the pasta in a cozy bowl with a sprinkle of finely chopped parsley.

Chanterelle mushrooms pasta

Chanterelle is a delicious mushroom with an earthy, nutty, mildly fruity aroma. They are also meaty, packed with umami, and delicious with pasta.

Substitute chanterelle for the other mushrooms in this recipe, and you'll get a beautiful dish with earthy flavors and fall colors.

Mushroom Alfredo

This creamy mushroom pasta, Alfredo style, is an indulgent, ultra-creamy, rich dish with cheese, butter, and cream.

Check out our creamy mushroom Alfredo recipe.

You can serve this vegan mushroom pasta to your family and friends as the main meal, and they'll be perfectly fed and happy.

If you want to add greens to your meal, have a peek at those delicious side dishes:

• Simple side salad with fresh leafy greens.
• Crunchy kale chips with lemon and garlic.
• Chickpea salad for a protein-rich side dish.
• Braised artichokes - Italian style on the stovetop with mint and lemon.
• Steamed artichokes - tender, meaty, and creamy.
• Cucumber and tomato salad for a lighter side dish.
• Brussels sprout salad made with crunchy shaved Brussels sprouts.
• Roasted broccoli with lemon and garlic.
• Roasted Brussels sprouts with maple syrup.

Make ahead: We don't recommend making this recipe in advance.

Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to the next day. Warm up the pasta in a pan with oil or microwave.

Freezing: This recipe is not suitable for freezing.

• Earthy mushroom ragu or mushroom bolognese
• Creamy mushroom gravy
• Mushroom risotto
• Mushroom wellington
• Tofu mushroom
• Sautéed mushrooms
• Roasted mushrooms
• Air fryer mushrooms

Looking for more quick and delicious pasta recipes? Then check out our:

• Lentil pasta
• Broccoli pasta
• Chickpea pasta salad
• Hummus pasta
• Penne all arrabbiata
• Creamy pasta salad
• Red pepper pasta
• Lemon pasta

For many more pasta ideas, check out our pasta category page.

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