Creamy Vegan Pasta with Crispy Mushrooms

This creamy vegan pasta with crispy mushrooms can be made in under 30 minutes! With a dairy-free creamy sauce and crispy mushrooms, it's a delicious weeknight dinner.

Each time I see a recipe for mushroom pasta I think "Oh my God, I need to make that! But dairy-free!" The most recent recipe that had me salivating was in a Bon Appetit issue about a year ago. I knew I had to try to make a dairy-free version of it. It looked so rich and creamy. And those crispy mushrooms looked so flavorful.

Turns out, this dairy-free version is absolutely just as DELICIOUS. Sometimes, with certain dishes, it's the heavy cream and loads of cheese that makes the dish -- and those can be challenging to make dairy-free.

But honestly, you won't miss the cream and real cheese in this dish. Thank goodness we live in a world with so many different dairy-free and vegan substitutes that also taste great!

Creamy Mushroom Pasta (dairy-free, vegan)

This creamy mushroom pasta is now one of my favorite weeknight meals. It's SO easy and fast to make.

The rich, velvety dairy-free sauce sticks beautifully to the starchy pasta. And the crispy mushrooms add a nice depth of flavor to this dish.

What do I need to make this pasta recipe?

One of the greatest things about this pasta recipe is that it just requires a pot to boil the pasta, and a skillet.

For the past year, I've used this 13" Daterra Cucina Professional Fry Pan for almost all of my everyday cooking. It's a non-stick ceramic skillet that is easy to clean and cooks food evenly and beautifully.

Ingredients for creamy mushroom pasta

Another thing I love about this recipe is how few ingredients are needed. And, these are ingredients you likely already have on hand!

Pasta - most pasta shapes will work with this recipe. My preference is for a thick long noodle, like the buccatini I used in these photos. I've also made this with fettuccine and linguine.

Mushrooms - cremini mushrooms add a lovely depth of flavor and richness to this pasta dish. But you could also use shiitake mushrooms or white button mushrooms.

Onions and Garlic - the two staples to most delicious dinners! I use finely diced yellow onion, but you could also use white onions or shallots.

Coconut Milk - this is what gives this dish that yummy dairy-free creaminess. I always keep extra cans of coconut milk in my pantry. It's a great staple to have that adds rich, creamy textures to so many vegan dishes!

Lemon Zest and Juice - for this recipe, you'll want both lemon zest and juice to add a bright citrus zing to the dish at the end.

Parmesan cheese alternative - I always use Follow Your Heart parmesan vegan grate. You can usually find the plastic clear containers with green lids in the refrigerated vegan section of the produce aisles. At my local store, it's almost always on the top shelf with other vegan cheeses, above items like Tofu and wonton wrappers.

How to make this easy pasta recipe

First, boil water and cook the pasta according to package directions. Be sure to save some of the starchy pasta water after the pasta has cooked.

Next, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a skillet. Add the mushrooms and cook in an even layer for 3 minutes, without stirring them. Let them crisp up. Then after 3 minutes, begin stirring them so that all sides begin to crisp up nicely. NOTE: depending on the pan you use and how many mushrooms you use, you may need to do this in two batches.

Reduce heat to medium-low, add all of the mushrooms to the pan, along with the onions and garlic. Sauté for 1-2 minutes, just until the garlic and onions soften and become slightly translucent.

Using tongs, transfer pasta to the pan with mushrooms. Add the coconut milk and 1 cup of the reserved starchy pasta water from the pasta pot to the pan with mushrooms. That reserve pasta water will help the sauce thicken up. Increase heat to medium, bring to a simmer, and cook, tossing constantly, until pasta is al dente and liquid is slightly thickened. This takes about 3 minutes.

Remove the pan from heat. Add lemon zest and juice, parsley, butter, ½ oz. Parmesan alternative, and toss together. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Which wine pairs well with creamy mushroom pasta?

I really love a good Oregon Pinot Noir with almost any mushroom pasta dish. The earthiness and secondary mushroom flavors from this style of Pinot Noir just enhances the flavors of the dish.

For a weeknight meal, I'd open up a bottle of the 2023 Et Fille Willamette Valley Pinor Noir ($34). My husband and I love this approachable wine, and we've been members of the Et Fille wine club for years. They offer several excellent wines often priced more affordably than comparable ones from the area.

More easy pasta recipes

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit

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