I love pasta on weeknights and this delicious vegan mushroom pasta is a favorite! It is ready in under 20 minutes and it is loaded with tons of flavor. Long strands of spaghetti soak up a simple but flavorful sauce of caramelized mushrooms.
Table of Contents
Easy mushroom pasta recipe
When mushrooms are in season, one of my go-to recipes is this quick and easy vegan mushroom pasta that takes so little effort and gives lots of joy!
Some very basic multitasking is the key to making this recipe in 20 minutes. I put the pasta water to boil and simultaneously chop and sauté the garlic, mushrooms and shallots. The veggies are ready by the time the pasta has cooked and all I have to do is mix it all together.
You need seven simple ingredients for this pasta, including spaghetti, shallots, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon and parsley. The shallots are optional, but I really recommend adding them in for their wonderful flavor. And don't let that simple ingredient list fool you - the flavors here are breathtaking!
You can serve the pasta as is or, for some added oomph, serve it with a drizzle of delicious, homemade vegan parmesan cheese, which is made with raw cashews, nutritional yeast and oregano.
There are no nuts or soy in this recipe and you can make it with gluten-free pasta if you want to.
Love mushrooms? Be sure to check out more mushroom recipes, including mushroom bourguignon, mushroom ragout and mushroom osso bucco.
Recipe card
Vegan Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 16 oz spaghetti (or any long pasta)
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 8 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 16 oz cremini mushrooms or button mushrooms (I used crimini. Use any wild mushrooms, including shiitake, maitake, chanterelles or morels)
- 2 large shallots (thinly slied)
- Juice and zest of one lemon
- 1 small bunch parsley (chopped, about 1 packed cup)
- Salt and ground black pepper to taste
For serving
Instructions
- Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling, salted water until al dente.
- While the pasta water is boiling, place the garlic and olive oil in a cold skillet large enough to hold the pasta. Heat over medium-low heat and let the garlic cook, stirring frequently, until it turns golden-brown.
- Add the sliced mushrooms to the skillet and season with salt and pepper. The mushrooms will express a lot of juice. Turn the heat to high or medium high and let the mushrooms cook, undisturbed, for 3-4 minutes, then stir them and continue cooking, stirring frequently, until they are golden-brown and all juices have evaporated.
- Stir in the sliced shallots and cook for barely a minute or two, just until they have softened.
- Add the cooked pasta to the skillet with a cup of the pasta water, lemon juice, zest and parsley. Add more salt and ground black pepper if needed. Toss together to mix.
- Turn off heat and serve the pasta hot, warm or at room temperature with vegan parm.
Notes
Ingredient notes
- Spaghetti. Use any long pasta, including fettuccine, bucatini, capellini or angel hair. A ribbony pasta like fettuccine or tagliatelle or linguini would work too.
- Extra virgin olive oil. This helps flavor the pasta in addition to being a cooking medium, as in aglio e olio.
- Mushrooms. Mushrooms are the star in this pasta recipe, and they shine here. I used cremini mushrooms this time but I also love wild mushrooms in this dish, and you can add any that you love or forage for, including shiitake, oyster, maitake, chanterelles and morels. (Each time I post a mushroom recipe I hear from someone who says they "hate" mushrooms. If you are one of those people, just determine to try some that are cooked right: you will learn to adore them. And do you know just how amazing they are for you?)
- Shallots. This is an optional addition but a highly recommended one. The shallots are barely cooked: you add them to the pot and salute them just enough to take the spicy edge off and make them soft, but they retain some bite and all of that distinctive flavor. It makes for a nice surprise in each bite.
Nutrition Information
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How to make vegan mushroom pasta
Recipe FAQs
You can use fresh basil or oregano instead of parsley. Use ¼ to ½ cup packed basil and 2-3 tablespoon of oregano. If you have only dry herbs, use 1 tablespoon basil or 2 teaspoon oregano.
Absolutely. Use any pasta you like, including wholegrain, gluten-free and high protein pasta.
Store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days. For longer storage, place in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze. Thaw and reheat before serving.
Yes, add spinach or other quick-cooking greens. Fold them in along with the pasta.
Add chickpeas or white beans, cooked or canned, for more protein (there's already 12 grams of protein in the recipe). If adding beans consider adding more garlic and season more generously.
marcy youker says
this recipe sounds delicious, I will try it, need to cut the amount, thank you!
Vaishali says
Hi Marcy, use the slider in the recipe card: you will find it highlighted after "Servings" at the top: you can use it to adjust the servings up or down. Hope you try!