This ultra creamy vegan mushroom pasta uses coconut milk, sliced mushrooms, fusilli pasta and savory herbs for a super satisfying one-pot weeknight dinner. It uses mostly pantry staple ingredients and is ready in just 20 minutes!
We finished the entire pot in a single day and were sad that we didn't have leftovers.
This bold and comforting creamy vegan mushroom pasta is the ultimate cold weather comfort food. It's a weeknight dinner staple in the Winter and early Spring months in my house.
For similar one pot vegan pasta recipes, check out my One Pot Vegan Lentil Pasta and Vegan Broccoli Mac and Cheese. For more simple vegan pasta recipes that are packed with flavor, check out my Creamy Avocado Pasta, Greek Tahini Pasta Salad, Lemon Garlic Pasta with basil, Creamy Sun-dried Tomato Pasta, and Vegan Pea Pesto Pasta Salad.
How to make it
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
This creamy vegan mushroom pasta uses mostly pantry staple ingredients, with just fresh spinach, mushrooms, shallots and a lemon needed as fresh ingredients
Coconut Milk
I recommend using full fat coconut milk. I do not recommend substituting another plant based milk since it gives this pasta the delightful creaminess.
Pasta
I like fusilli pasta since the spirals hold plenty of creamy comforting sauce, but penne is also a good alternative. I used gluten-free pasta and found that Tinkyada brand is great for this recipe since it tends to create the starchiest pasta water, therefore adding to the creaminess.
Sliced Mushrooms
To keep this recipe ultra fast and eliminate prep steps, choose pre-sliced white or cremini mushrooms. You can also slice or quarter them yourselves if pre-sliced is not an option.
Nutritional Yeast
Nutritional yeast adds the rick mock-dairy flavor to dairy-free recipes like this coconut milk alfredo sauce copycat.
You'll also find nutritional yeast in many of my other vegan recipes, like Dairy-Free Scalloped Potatoes, Vegan Parmesan Cheese, Dairy-Free Pesto, Dairy-Free Spinach Artichoke Dip, and Dairy-Free Buffalo Chicken Dip. It is a very useful ingredient to have on hand for dairy-free and vegan cooking.
More Ingredient Notes
- shallots - Shallots have the best flavor for this recipe, but finely chopped red onion can be used in a pinch if shallots are not available.
- red pepper flakes - I love a little heat in my pasta dishes, especially during the cold months. Feel free to leave it out for a milder flavor.
- gluten-free soy sauce - Gluten-free tamari will also work. Regular soy sauce is not gluten-free, and therefore you must choose a brand labeled gluten-free and check the ingredients label when choosing soy sauce.
You also need garlic, a lemon, crushed rosemary, vegetable broth, spinach, salt, and ground black pepper to make this recipe.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make this creamy vegan mushroom pasta in four easy steps.
- Oil + shallots: In a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat, add the coconut oil. Once warmed and melted, add the shallots and sauté until they begin to turn translucent, stirring on occasion (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Spices, broth, coconut milk, + pasta: Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and rosemary. Sauté for two minutes stirring constantly. Then immediately add the broth, coconut milk and pasta. Pat the top of the pasta down with a wooden spoon so it's all or mostly submerged in the liquid. Bring to a low boil and allow to cook for five minutes with the lid partly covering.
- Mushrooms + flavorings: Add the mushrooms, nutritional yeast, coconut aminos (or GF tamari), and salt. Allow to cook for an additional five minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring on occasion. Remove from heat.
- Spinach: Add spinach and stir into the pasta to wilt with the heat. Serve warm with black pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Top Tip
For the best creamy vegan mushroom pasta, pick a starchy pasta. Of all the gluten-free pastas I tried, Tinkyada leaves the most starch in the water. The starch thickens the sauce which makes the sauce even creamier.
Recipe FAQ's
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this creamy vegan mushroom pasta recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Store leftover creamy vegan mushroom pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
I have only used full fat coconut milk in this recipe and therefore cannot suggest an alternative that I know would work. However, I have seen soy cream and oat cream that could be good alternatives. If you try an alternative you like, please share which one you used in the comments to help other readers.
Related vegan pasta recipes to consider...
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📖 Recipe
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 3 shallots , sliced thinly
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon dried crushed rosemary
- 2 cups vegetable broth
- 1 14-ounce can full fat coconut milk (400 ml)
- 12 ounces fusilli pasta , I used gluten-free pasta
- 1 8-ounce package sliced mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari (regular soy sauce is not gluten-free!)
- 1 ½ teaspoons salt
- 2 large handfuls spinach
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper plus more to taste
- ½ medium lemon , cut into wedges to garnish
Instructions
- Oil + shallots: In a large dutch oven or pot over medium heat, add the coconut oil. Once warmed and melted, add the shallots and sauté until they begin to turn translucent, stirring on occasion (about 2 to 3 minutes).
- Spices, broth, coconut milk, + pasta: Add the garlic, crushed red pepper, and rosemary. Sauté for two minutes stirring constantly. Then immediately add the broth, coconut milk and pasta. Pat the top of the pasta down with a wooden spoon so it's all or mostly submerged in the liquid. Bring to a low boil and allow to cook for five minutes with the lid partly covering.
- Mushrooms + flavorings: Add the mushrooms, nutritional yeast, coconut aminos (or GF tamari), and salt. Allow to cook for an additional five minutes or until the pasta is al dente, stirring on occasion. Remove from heat.
- Spinach: Add spinach and stir into the pasta to wilt with the heat. Serve warm with black pepper and lemon juice to taste.
Monique says
I can't believe how creamy this pasta is! My husband and I ate the entire batch in one go. We tried to eat a serving and kept coming back all night until it was gone. I feel like this recipe is way underrated since there are no other comments. Everyone should try it!