This delicious, cozy Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta takes just 30 minutes and one pot to make. A super easy meal to make no matter your kitchen skills, this pasta is creamy, rich, savory and packed with umami flavor!
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Hey Internet, I can never get enough simple pasta dishes. Add to that one pot and yeesh, that’s gonna be a favorite.
This one pot creamy vegan mushroom pasta is just that! Plus, I mean, mushrooms. I’m such a huge fan of mushrooms.
But speaking of vegan one pot pasta, I’ve got a few now including vegan pasta puttanesca, chickpea florentine pasta, vegan rasta pasta, vegan hamburger helper, and American style vegan goulash.
I’m always looking for more easy weeknight dinners. When I get off work, I’m either drained from meetings or just tired from working late.
So I need something quick. This dinner takes 30 minutes or less!
It’s also gotta be easy and simple. So I love vegan one pot pasta for its simplicity!
I’ll explain how it works next, but it’s definitely not hard. No straining, no draining.
Why This Recipe Works
So one pot pasta is honestly not as hard as it sounds. The key is to have the right amount of liquid for the right amount of pasta.
With other add-ins like in this creamy vegan mushroom pasta, it could get a little complicated but that’s why I’ve done the hard part of this for you and tested it a bunch. So all you need to do is follow my recipe.
First, we’ll start by sauteing the excess water out of the mushrooms. They’ll taste way better this way too!
Next, we’ll add an equal amount of pasta to liquid--4 cups pasta, 4 cups liquid. I’m using fettuccine here to be fancy, though I think short pastas are easier to work with when doing vegan one pot pasta.
I wanted to make a pound of vegan creamy mushroom pasta, so I added 4 cups of broth. I add broth instead of water to add more flavor to the dish.
If you want to make less pasta, simply halve the whole recipe. I used a LOT of mushrooms too, so you could definitely reduce that if you want.
Anyway, the other trick to a one pot vegan pasta is to push the pasta down so it gets wet by the broth and then cover the pot with a lid so the steam will help cook the pasta.
And I want you to stir it every few minutes if you can.
When the pasta is cooked, most of the liquid will be absorbed. And the small amount of liquid left is perfect for creating the base for the creamy sauce (and of course we’ll add a few extra ingredients to make it ultra creamy and delicious).
That’s really all there is to it.
Ingredients and Notes
- 3-4 tablespoons vegan butter: This is for cooking a rather large amount of mushrooms. If you prefer to cook oil-free and have a good nonstick pot, by all means do that. I usually cook oil-free, but I wanted to use this beautiful dutch oven I was given as a gift and it does require vegan butter or oil. FYI, oil will also work for this process.
- 4-6 cloves garlic, minced: I like a lot of garlic in my pasta but you can use less if you don’t love garlic as much as we do.
- 16-24 ounces mushrooms, cleaned and sliced: I like to use 24 ounces of mushrooms for this dish but you can use a bit less if you prefer. You can use any mushrooms you like for this. We prefer to use crimini or baby bella for our creamy vegan mushroom pasta. But you could use white button mushrooms or even shiitake mushrooms for a more umami flavor. I recently learned it’s better to clean mushrooms with a tea towel or paper towel, rather than wash them.
- 16 ounces pasta of choice: I feel that short pastas are easier to make vegan one pot pasta with, though I have to admit I used fettuccine so I could be fancy. And it was a little harder to work with but it turned out fine. If you need to use gluten-free pasta, please do so. And if you feel one pound of pasta is too much (this recipe makes about 12 cups of food), please feel free to halve the recipe entirely; it works just fine that way.
- 4 cups vegetable broth: You can use any broth you like. Use mushroom base for an even more intense mushroom flavor if you’d like.
- 1 cup full fat coconut milk (from a can): I use this to add creaminess at the end. It does not give a strong coconut flavor. This is also what I used in my similar recipe, vegan cream of mushroom soup. Alternatives include unsweetened unflavored non-dairy creamer, or plant based heavy cream if you can find it. Or even a thick homemade nut milk (from the carton tends to be too thin in my opinion).
- ⅓ cup grated vegan parmesan cheese: We like the Violife vegan parmesan block. You can substitute nutritional yeast if you prefer, and start with 3-4 tablespoons since it is dryer and will soak up some of the sauce.
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste: I usually use about ½ teaspoon of sea salt and about ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
- Fresh thyme or parsley for serving, optional
How to Make One Pot Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta
- Heat a large heavy bottomed pot (use a good large nonstick pot if cooking oil-free) over medium heat and add the vegan butter (if using). Let it melt, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Now add the sliced mushrooms and cook 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have released their liquid and most of it has cooked off. The mushrooms should darken and soften considerably. The edges may begin to brown and the mushrooms may shrink quite a bit as well.
- Add the pasta and broth to the pot now, and stir gently. It’s fine if not all of the pasta is covered with the broth, but try to stir it enough that all the pasta gets wet. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, turn up the heat to medium high, and let the liquid come to a boil.
- Remove the lid, give everything a good stir, and replace the lid. Lower the heat to medium low and cook 8-10 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed into the pasta and the pasta is cooked and soft. Make sure to stir occasionally (every 2-3 minutes), and always replace the lid immediately after stirring.
- There will be a small amount of liquid remaining when the pasta is cooked--that’s great, we’ll use that. Pour in the canned full fat coconut milk (or whatever substitute you’re using, see the notes section) and stir well, then add in the vegan parmesan cheese and stir well once more.
- Season the creamy vegan mushroom pasta with salt and pepper if you’d like and serve immediately. Add a little chopped fresh parsley or thyme leaves for garnish if you’d like. My husband loves this with some vegan garlic bread, whereas I like it with a fresh vegan Italian salad and some vegan creamy Italian dressing. Or do both, especially if you want to impress some guests or have a large family to feed!
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a pan with a little extra broth and a splash of non-dairy milk--and maybe an extra sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese.
Frequently Asked Questions
I get it! I usually don’t cook with oil either. As I said earlier in this post, I received a beautiful Le Creuset Enameled Dutch Oven as a gift and I love cooking in it though it does require oil otherwise everything sticks. If you prefer to cook oil-free, I recommend a really good quality nonstick pot. I LOVE my All Clad Nonstick 4 Quart Pot, and I also have it in the skillet version. I’ve never needed oil in those pots. When I saute my garlic (and onions in most cases, just not this recipe), I usually just use a splash of broth or water if things start to stick a little.
I recommend a large (at least 4 quarts) pot with a heavy bottom. As stated above, if you like to cook oil-free, use a nonstick pot. If you and oil or vegan butter are friends, anything from an enameled or cast iron pot is fine. Or if you’re bros with your stainless steel pots, go with that!
It’s a little scary at first, I get it! I promise it gets easier once you do it. If you still want to try my creamy vegan mushroom pasta, you can make the pasta separately. I recommend salting your pasta water (bring water to a boil, add a generous amount of kosher salt, let it come back to a boil and add your pasta) and cook until al dente, then drain. In a separate pot, melt vegan butter (or cook oil-free), saute some garlic and cook the mushrooms as mentioned. When fully cooked, add the full fat coconut milk (or whatever substitution you picked) and vegan parmesan cheese, stir that in, then simmer for a few minutes. Combine with drained al dente pasta and simmer on low for a few minutes until it comes together.
We recently updated this recipe because of user feedback we received. Here is the original recipe if you're looking for it:
Ingredients:
One small onion, sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced (optional)
16 oz crimini/mini Bella mushrooms (white mushrooms will also work)
4 cups pasta of choice
4 cups vegetable broth
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt (I like Himalayan Pink Salt because of the flavor)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
⅓ cup cashew butter or tahini (or the heavy portion of a can of full fat coconut milk--or if you're watching overt fats, try blending ½ cup white beans with water)
Splash of unsweetened nondairy milk
Chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, saute your onion in a splash of water over medium-high heat until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and saute for one minute more.
2. Add broth, pasta, and mushrooms. Turn the heat up and bring it to a boil.
3. Lower heat to medium-low and let cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.
4. Remove from the heat and add the spices, nutritional yeast, lemon, vinegar, and cashew butter or tahini. Stir it well. Add a little nondairy milk if the sauce needs to be thinner. If it needs to be thicker, add a little bit more nutritional yeast.
5. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
Pro Tips for Success
- This recipe makes about 12 cups. If that’s too much, I recommend halving the recipe. Still turns out great!
- Use a heavy, quality pot. Thin pots aren’t great conductors of heat and make vegan one pot pasta harder than it needs to be. Remember that if you are cooking without oil, use a good nonstick pot.
- Make sure to cook the mushrooms until they’ve started to brown or at least until they’ve softened and shrunk considerably.
- Stirring it every 2-3 minutes helps the pasta cook evenly and keeps it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Make sure to keep the pot covered while the vegan creamy mushroom pasta cooks. The steam will help cook the pasta and keep it moist.
- If all the liquid is absorbed and the pasta is not done yet, you can add a splash of broth or water, but do it only a few tablespoons at a time and stir.
- Similarly, if there is a lot of liquid left and the pasta is almost cooked, simmer it without the lid so some of that excess liquid can evaporate.
More Recipes Like This
- Vegan Aglio e Olio
- Vegan Creamy Pasta
- My famous Vegan Garlic Noodles
- Vegan Cacio e Pepe
- Vegan Meat Sauce with pasta
- Saucy Tahini Pasta with Crispy Tofu
- Vegan Carbonara
- Vegan Ragu with pasta
- And Vegan Buttered Noodles, which are simple but with a few add-ins that take them over the top!
<3 Liz
One Pot Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta Recipe
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 bowls
- Diet: Vegan
Description
This delicious, cozy Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta takes just 30 minutes and one pot to make. A super easy meal to make no matter your skills.
Ingredients
- 3 - 4 tablespoons vegan butter or olive oil (see note 1 to cook oil-free)
- 4 - 6 cloves garlic, minced (or less, to taste)
- 16 - 24 ounces crimini / baby bella mushrooms, cleaned and sliced (see note 2)
- 16 ounces pasta of choice (see note 3)
- 4 cups vegetable broth (see note 4 for other options)
- 1 cup canned full fat coconut milk (see note 5 for substitutions)
- ⅓ cup vegan parmesan cheese, finely grated (see note 6)
- Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
- Fresh parsley or thyme for garnish, optional
Instructions
- Heat a large heavy bottomed pot (use a good large nonstick pot if cooking oil-free) over medium heat and add the vegan butter (if using). Let it melt, stirring occasionally.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Now add the sliced mushrooms and cook 4-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they have released their liquid and most of it has cooked off. The mushrooms should darken and soften considerably. The edges may begin to brown and the mushrooms may shrink quite a bit as well.
- Add the pasta and broth to the pot now, and stir gently. It’s fine if not all of the pasta is covered with the broth, but try to stir it enough that all the pasta gets wet. Cover with a tight-fitting lid, turn up the heat to medium high, and let the liquid come to a boil.
- Remove the lid, give everything a good stir, and replace the lid. Lower the heat to medium low and cook 8-10 minutes or until most of the liquid has absorbed into the pasta and the pasta is cooked and soft. Make sure to stir occasionally (every 2-3 minutes), and always replace the lid immediately after stirring.
- There will be a small amount of liquid remaining when the pasta is cooked--that’s great, we’ll use that. Pour in the canned full fat coconut milk (or whatever substitute you’re using, see the notes section) and stir well, then add in the vegan parmesan cheese and stir well once more.
- Season the creamy vegan mushroom pasta with salt and pepper if you’d like and serve immediately. Add a little chopped fresh parsley or thyme leaves for garnish if you’d like. My husband loves this with some vegan garlic bread, whereas I like it with a fresh vegan Italian salad and some vegan creamy Italian dressing. Or do both, especially if you want to impress some guests or have a large family to feed!
- Store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Reheat in a pan with a little extra broth and a splash of non-dairy milk--and maybe an extra sprinkle of vegan parmesan cheese.
Notes
- Note 1: This is for cooking a rather large amount of mushrooms. If you prefer to cook oil-free and have a good nonstick pot, by all means do that. I usually cook oil-free, but I wanted to use this beautiful dutch oven I was given as a gift and it does require vegan butter or oil. FYI, oil will also work for this process.
- Note 2: I like to use 24 ounces of mushrooms for this dish but you can use a bit less if you prefer. You can use any mushrooms you like for this. We prefer to use crimini or baby bella for our creamy vegan mushroom pasta. But you could use white button mushrooms or even shiitake mushrooms for a more umami flavor. I recently learned it’s better to clean mushrooms with a tea towel or paper towel, rather than wash them.
- Note 3: I feel that short pastas are easier to make vegan one pot pasta with, though I have to admit I used fettuccine so I could be fancy. And it was a little harder to work with but it turned out fine. If you need to use gluten-free pasta, please do so. And if you feel one pound of pasta is too much (this recipe makes about 12 cups of food), please feel free to halve the recipe entirely; it works just fine that way.
- Note 4: You can use any broth you like. Use mushroom base for an even more intense mushroom flavor if you’d like.
- Note 5: I use this to add creaminess at the end. It does not give a strong coconut flavor. This is also what I used in my similar recipe, vegan cream of mushroom soup. Alternatives include unsweetened unflavored non-dairy creamer, or plant based heavy cream if you can find it. Or even a thick homemade nut milk (from the carton tends to be too thin in my opinion).
- Note 6: We like the Violife vegan parmesan block. You can substitute nutritional yeast if you prefer, and start with 3-4 tablespoons since it is dryer and will soak up some of the sauce.
- Note 7: We recently updated this recipe because of user feedback we received. Here is the original recipe if you're looking for it:
Ingredients:
One small onion, sliced
1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced (optional)
16 oz crimini/mini Bella mushrooms (white mushrooms will also work)
4 cups pasta of choice
4 cups vegetable broth
4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt (I like Himalayan Pink Salt because of the flavor)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
⅓ cup cashew butter or tahini (or the heavy portion of a can of full fat coconut milk--or if you're watching overt fats, try blending ½ cup white beans with water)
Splash of unsweetened nondairy milk
Chopped fresh parsley to garnish
Instructions:
1. In a large pot, saute your onion in a splash of water over medium-high heat until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the bell pepper and saute for one minute more.
2. Add broth, pasta, and mushrooms. Turn the heat up and bring it to a boil.
3. Lower heat to medium-low and let cook for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender.
4. Remove from the heat and add the spices, nutritional yeast, lemon, vinegar, and cashew butter or tahini. Stir it well. Add a little nondairy milk if the sauce needs to be thinner. If it needs to be thicker, add a little bit more nutritional yeast.
5. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve.
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Pasta
Joan Mendler
The video is great! I'm a visual person, so seeing the steps helps a lot--it answers all kinds of questions I didn't even realize I had.Pasta is my favorite food--isn't it everyone's?--and this recipe looks decadent yet not hard to make. And I'm making your heart-shaped brookies for Valentine's Day.
Ruth Albert
Very yummy, especially with peas.
Liron
Great recipe!
I made it today with two alterations: I added extra lemon, 'cause I HATE vinegar and used tahini instead of cashew for a nut-free version.
OMG!
I never ate two full bowls of other recipes I tried before for vegan sauces. This exploded my taste buds.
I will definitely recommend this to my friends!
Next time I will try and add other veggies - some peas or cauliflower.
Terry
Could this be made in a crockpot? How would this change the recipe?
💚 Liz
Likely! Unfortunately, I have not yet tested it in a crockpot. I would suggest see this article to see how to cook pasta in a crookpot.
Laurie DiRenzo
Just made this recipe!! Outstanding!!! Super creamy and seasoned perfectly!! The family is all dishing out now and so far everyone loves it!!! Beautiful color as well!!
Katie
The flavours are wonderful! I made it with tahini. I ended up with too much liquid so it was a bit soupy. Just plan to use less broth next time. Definitely making it again.
RsmryNW
Great recipe. easy prep and quick.
1 question- in step 4, it says to add vinegar, but there is no vinegar listed. Other than that, I made 1/2 the recipe, added spinach, and added a splash of vinegar just to make sure. I used tahini in step 4.
Thank you!
💚 Liz
Hi! About 2-3 teaspoons white wine vinegar.
Sara
Hello! Did you change this recipe? It's one of my favorites and I haven't made it in a few months, but I remember there being tahini, onions, and peppers in it, and no cheese substitutes.
💚 Liz
We did update the recipe using user feedback but I will email the old recipe to you!