Chilly weather gets me wanting all the comfort food – what’s better than a plate full of carbs in times like that? This vegan mushroom pasta satisfies your carb craves on the best of days.
My favourite bit? It’s ready in under 20 minutes which means you can cook this up quickly any time you want.
If you’ve no time to read it through the recipe now? Pin this vegan mushroom pasta for later!
How have you made vegan mushroom pasta?
Three key elements make up creamy vegan sauces:
- Soaked cashews
- Liquid, e.g. milk
- Seasoning
Traditional creamy pasta recipes often use dairy milk, creams and even yoghurts. Instead, I’ve subbed them out for dairy-free ingredients and methods. Making this vegan, less fattening, but no less comforting.
Instead of cow’s milk, I’ve used soy milk, but oat milk works just as great. These two kinds of plant milk are known to be creamy and contain fortified nutrients, so they work great for this kind of recipe. I went for sweetened soy milk which I loved as it added a hint of sweetness to the sauce, but unsweetened works just as well.
I’ve used a variety of different seasoning to add flavour which includes Dijon mustard, nutmeg, salt, pepper and parsley. A key player would be nutritional yeast. It not only packed with B vitamins, amino acids, iron and zinc, but it also boasts a ‘cheesy’ flavour, so it’s a great addition to this vegan mushroom pasta sauce.
When cashews have soaked, they become soft and easily blend into a thick, smooth sauce, much like how peanuts blend into peanut butter. When combined with the liquids and seasoning, you create this gorgeous warm, rich and creamy vegan white sauce which you’ll find hard not to lick straight off the spoon.
What’s the best kind of mushrooms to use for this creamy vegan pasta?
When you want that meaty, umami flavour, mushrooms are the way to go. While you can experiment with flavours deriving from more wild mushrooms like portobellos, oyster, shiitake and trumpet, I’ve kept to the standard white mushroom to keep this recipe simple and affordable.
Another reason why I love mushrooms is because of their nutritional benefits. They’re known to boast medicinal properties because they’re a strong source of nutrients, protein, B-vitamins, fibre and immune-enhancing sugars. For this reason, they’re considered a superfood.
Feel free to go wilder with this recipe. Shiitake, portobellos and oyster mushrooms will provide you with more meaty textures which is great if you’re new to living Life Without Meat.
What are the benefits of making cashew cream sauce?
Apart from the ability of cashew nuts to make insanely smooth and velvety vegan cheese sauces which are full of flavour, they are also incredibly nutritious.
They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. These include vitamins E, K, and B-6, along with minerals like copper, phosphorus, zinc, magnesium, iron, and selenium, all of which are so important for a variety of bodily functions that we can’t go without.
Also, there is great meaning behind going dairy-free and using plant-based alternatives to creating your favourite meals. It’s a choice which has a positive impact on the environment, your health and you saves loads of animals.
I hope you give this delicious and creamy vegan mushroom pasta a go. If you love it, you might also like my creamy mushroom toasts which are nut-free. I’m sure it will provide you with a newfound love for mushrooms. If you do, please leave a comment with your feedback and tag me on social.
Much Love,
G x
Vegan Mushroom Pasta with Fresh Parsley and Spinach
All you need is 20 minutes to make this irresistibly creamy vegan mushroom pasta. The creamy and smooth sauce will please both vegans and non-vegans alike.
Ingredients
THE SAUCE:
- 200g Cashew nuts
- Boiling water
- 1/2 vegetable stock
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp Violife cream cheese
- 2 large garlic crushed
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp mixed herbs
- Generous grinding of black pepper
- 1/4 whole nutmeg finely grated
- 100ml soy milk (or oat)
- A generous handful of fresh parsley
TO SERVE:
- 200g 'Conchiglioni' pasta shells
- 50g fresh baby spinach
- 80g mushrooms sliced
- 1 tsp Garlic powder
- Olive oil spray
Instructions
- Boil a full kettle. Then add your cashews to a jug and pour over enough boiling water so they're just submerged. Stir in the veg stock until it's dissolved and leave to soak for 10 mins. Also, use the kettle water to bring the pasta to the boil on high heat, then allow to simmer on low heat for 15 mins.
- During this time you can make your sauce. Add the olive oil, 1 tbsp water, vegan cream cheese, garlic, nutritional yeast, mustard, salt, herbs, black pepper, nutmeg and dairy-free milk to a blender and blitz on high speed for a few minutes. Leave the flavours to infuse before finally adding the cashews (with stock) and fresh parsley. Blend on high speed for a further 5 minutes until the sauce is completely smooth.
- Use this 5 minutes and a large pan to lightly fry off your mushrooms and spinach in a light spray of olive oil and a sprinkling of garlic powder. Cook until the spinach wilts. Add a dash of pasta water for extra flavour and a quicker cook time.
- Once pasta is cooked, drain and add to the mushrooms and spinach. Then pour over your super creamy sauce and stir well. Serve with fresh parsley
Notes
Allergens: soy, celery, mustard, nuts, wheat
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