All you need is 20 minutes and a handful of simple ingredients to make this super easy Vegan One Pot Creamy Mushroom Pasta! Golden mushrooms, shallots, garlic and fresh herbs cook right alongside the spaghetti in a silky, dairy-free sauce, so both dinner and the cleanup are a breeze.
The magic of one pot pasta has been around for a while now, but the ability to dump everything in one pot and have a delicious meal come out at the end of the process never ceases to amaze me.
(If it amazes you too - be sure to grab this free printable with my most popular one-pot vegan recipes!)
There are lots of versions floating about, but this creamy mushroom pasta is mine. Essentially, it's a one pot version of my vegan alfredo.
After frying the mushrooms, shallots and garlic, simply add hot stock (or boiling water), the spaghetti and your favorite dairy-free milk. At first the milk may look a little curdled, but stick with it: as the pasta cooks and releases its starch, everything comes together into a deliciously creamy mushroom pasta sauce.
Key Ingredients & Substitutions
- Mushrooms. I like to use a mix of white button and baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, but any variety works. Sliced shiitake or oyster mushrooms add a deeper, meatier flavor.
- Shallots and garlic. Shallots are milder and sweeter than onions and melt right into the sauce. Half a small yellow onion, finely diced, is a fine swap.
- Fresh rosemary or thyme. Finely chopped fresh herbs give the sauce its cozy, earthy flavor. If you only have dried, use about a third of the amount.
- Vegetable stock. Stock gives the most flavorful sauce, but boiling water works too. I use my own homemade vegetable stock. Store-bought stocks can be quite salty, so adjust the salt to suit.
- Spaghetti. Regular dried spaghetti is the classic choice. Gluten-free spaghetti also works; just watch the cooking time, since it can go soft quickly.
- Dairy-free milk. Use an unsweetened, unflavored milk. Cashew milk is the creamiest option, but soy or oat milk are great too. Avoid coconut milk unless you like its flavor in savory dishes.
- Nutritional yeast and white miso. These two pantry heroes give the sauce its savory, almost cheesy depth. Look for plain nutritional yeast flakes and a mild white (shiro) miso.
Helpful Tips
Use a wide pan with a lid. You want a pan wide enough to lay the spaghetti flat without breaking it, and deep enough to hold all the liquid. A deep lidded sauté pan or a large braiser is perfect.
Brown the mushrooms properly. Give the mushrooms time to turn golden before adding anything else, and cook them in two batches if your pan is crowded. Crowded mushrooms steam instead of browning, and that golden color is where a lot of the flavor comes from.
Don't panic if the milk looks curdled. Plant milks can separate a little when they hit the hot pan. Keep simmering and stirring; the starch from the pasta pulls everything back together into a smooth, creamy sauce.
Stir often. Stir every minute or so while the pasta simmers so the strands don't clump together or stick to the bottom of the pan. Tongs make this much easier than a spoon.
Serve it right away. As the pasta sits, it keeps absorbing the sauce. Stirring in the reserved half cup of milk at the end keeps it loose and saucy, and we all like a good saucy pasta, right?
Variations
- Change the pasta shape. Swap the spaghetti for penne, shells, fettuccine or any shape you like. Keep an eye on it, though, as some shapes, such as macaroni, cook in less time than spaghetti.
- Add some greens. For a pop of color, stir in a couple of handfuls of baby spinach or arugula (rocket) a minute or so before the pasta is ready. Hardier greens such as kale need a few extra minutes, so add them about 5 minutes before the end.
- Make it garlicky. Double the garlic and finish with a squeeze of lemon juice and a handful of chopped parsley.
- Add a little heat. A pinch of red pepper flakes with the garlic gives the creamy sauce a gentle kick.
- Bulk it up. Stir in a can of drained white beans or some frozen peas in the last few minutes for extra protein.
Serving Ideas
This creamy mushroom pasta is a complete meal on its own, but a crisp, tangy salad is the perfect contrast to all that creaminess. Try it with a kale Caesar salad or a bright kale avocado salad with lemon Dijon dressing.
Finish each bowl with freshly cracked black pepper, a little extra chopped rosemary or parsley, and a sprinkle of nutritional yeast. A slice of crusty bread or garlic toast for mopping up the sauce never hurts either, and roasted broccoli or green beans make an easy side if you want more veggies on the plate.
Storing & Freezing
This pasta is best eaten straight away, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. The pasta will soak up most of the sauce as it sits, so reheat it gently in a pan over low heat with a splash of dairy-free milk or stock, stirring until it's creamy again. You can also microwave it with a splash of milk, stirring halfway through.
I don't recommend freezing this one. Creamy, plant milk-based sauces tend to separate when thawed, and the cooked spaghetti turns soft and mushy. It's so quick to make that it's better cooked fresh.
More Vegan Pasta Recipes
If you loved this recipe, here are a few more you might enjoy, or browse all of my favorite vegan pasta recipes:
📖 Recipe
Equipment
- Deep Frying Pan with a lid
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon olive oil
- 14 oz mushrooms, washed and sliced (400g)
- 2 shallots, peeled and diced
- 4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 teaspoon rosemary or thyme, finely chopped
- 3 ⅓ cups vegetable stock, hot, or boiling water
- 12 oz spaghetti, (350g)
- 2 ½ cups dairy free milk, such as cashew milk
- 2 teaspoon salt, use 1 teaspoon if using salted store-bought stock
- 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoon white miso
Instructions
- Place a large lidded frying pan or sauté pan over medium-high heat. The pan should be wide enough to fit your spaghetti without breaking it.
- Add the oil to the pan and fry the mushrooms until lightly golden, 5-6 minutes. You might need to do this in two batches, depending on the size of your pan. Once the mushrooms are browned, add the shallots, garlic and herbs. Cook until the shallots are translucent and the garlic is fragrant, 1-2 minutes, stirring so that the garlic doesn't burn.
- Pour in the hot vegetable stock (or boiling water). Add the spaghetti, 2 cups of the dairy-free milk (reserving the remaining ½ cup), the salt, nutritional yeast and miso. Cover the pan and bring it to a boil over high heat. Remove the lid, reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring every minute or so so the pasta doesn't clump together, until the pasta is tender and the sauce has thickened. Don't worry if the milk looks a little curdled at first; it will come together as the pasta cooks.
- Remove the pan from the heat, add the reserved ½ cup of milk and stir it through to loosen the sauce. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- I like to use a mix of button mushrooms and baby bella (cremini) mushrooms, but you can use any variety you prefer.
- Store-bought stock can be quite salty. If using it, start with 1 teaspoon of salt and add more to taste at the end.
- If using water rather than stock, you may wish to add a little extra salt and some freshly ground black pepper.
- Whole milk can be used if you are not looking to make a dairy-free recipe.
- This pasta is best served right away, as it absorbs the sauce as it sits. Reheat leftovers with a splash of milk.
Faith says
I have been making this recipe for years - it's so good and pretty easy.
Donna says
Excellent recipes!
Thanks 🙂