This simple creamy mushroom pasta recipe is full of rich, hearty, umami flavor! Naturally vegan and packed with veggies, it’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
When I’m in a busy season of life (like right now), my favorite recipes are the ones that cook fast but taste slow.
Like Maple Glazed Pork Chops. They taste like they’ve been slowly braising for hours, but they cook in under 10 minutes!
Or Instant Pot Honey Garlic Chicken. A quick stir of pantry staples + chicken takes less than 5 minutes. Adding some Easy Roasted Broccoli and pulling a bag of Instant Pot Brown Rice from the freezer means dinner will be ready in under 30 minutes and you don’t even have to be in the kitchen!!
Most recently though, we’ve fallen in love with this weeknight creamy mushroom pasta…It tastes like you’ve gone out to a restaurant! But all you’ve really done is fill two pots, whiz a sauce in the blender, set a timer, and walk away…the perfect comfort food!
CREAMY MUSHROOM PASTA
Why should you make this creamy mushroom pasta dish? So many reasons!
- It’s cheap. Pasta is one of the cheapest grains you’ll find in the store. Whole wheat pasta often goes on sale for about $1 per pound, but I’ve seen it marked down to 50¢ per pound before!
- This cooks super fast. We’re talking about 20 minutes here from start to finish.
- It’s easy. Literally, boil pasta in one pot, let mushrooms cook in another, set the timer on the pasta, and go do something else. You don’t have to stand over the stove for this dinner!
- It’s made with pantry staples. Aside from the mushrooms (which keep in my fridge for at least a week), everything comes from the pantry. That means if your meal plan falls apart, this is something you can make in a pinch.
- Minimal dishes. Two pots and a blender jar. And one of those pots is for boiling the pasta, which you and I both know barely even counts as a “dish.”
MUSHROOM CREAM PASTA INGREDIENTS
- Mushrooms. I use brown cremini mushrooms. White button mushrooms or brown baby bella mushrooms will work. You could also try a mixture of mushrooms.
- Pasta. Pick your favorite noodle! Since we’ve switched to einkorn or gluten free pasta, we often use brown rice rotini or penne noodles. Long noodles work too, like fettuccine or linguine.
- Olive Oil. To sauté the veggies. If you don’t need this to be vegan, you can use unsalted butter.
- Onion + Garlic. These aromatics add great flavor to the mushroom pasta dish.
- Dried Thyme + Dried Sage. Simple seasonings that help bring out the savory earthiness in the mushrooms.
- Cashews + Water + Pepper. These make the pasta creamy sauce. YUM!
One thing you might notice that’s not on the ingredients list? Cream! That’s right – this is a mushroom cream pasta, no heavy cream necessary. The creamy factor comes from a secret I learned from Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce – cashews!
HOW TO MAKE CREAMY PASTA AND MUSHROOMS
Follow these simple instructions to make this easy pasta and mushrooms recipe.
Step 1. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
Step 2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet OR a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, thyme, and sage.
Step 3. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have cooked down by half. Add additional olive oil as necessary.
Step 4. When the pasta and mushrooms are done, toss the cashews, water, and black pepper in a blender (I have this Blendtec) and blend until the sauce is creamy.
Step 5. Serve a la carte or add the cooked pasta to the mushrooms and stir well.
Note: You can add an optional garnish to the creamy mushroom pasta if you’d like. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes, Parmesan cheese, chopped walnuts, fresh chopped parsley, or a squeeze of fresh lemon juice would all be amazing!
Store leftover mushrooms and pasta in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days (you can buy containers locally at Walmart or them shipped to you via Amazon).
SERVE WITH MUSHROOMS AND PASTA
Sometimes I focus so much on the main portion of the meal that I forget about the side dishes. In this case, the vegetables are built into the mushrooms and pasta with no sides necessary – WIN!
That said, you could add a yummy bread side (because who doesn’t love bread and pasta?!)
MEATLESS CREAMY MUSHROOM PASTA
- Cut back on meat. We all know that cutting back on meat consumption saves money. We’ve cut back on the total amount of meat we eat so that we can afford higher quality cuts of meat (that we get delivered monthly from Butcher Box). That means putting a few meatless dinners on the meal plan each week, and this is a great option.
- But…you don’t feel like it’s meatless, which is pretty stinkin’ amazing! The mushrooms are big and savory, and they make you feel like you’re chewing something hearty (unlike a plate of iceberg lettuce!). We leave the table full and satisfied without even missing the meat.
- That said…you could add meat. Cooked shredded chicken or Italian sausage would both taste delicious with the mushrooms and even adding just a little would satisfy your meat-eaters.
- It’s vegan. We aren’t vegan, but we are fully in favor of eating more vegetables and less oil and more healthy fats and all that good stuff…plus, it’s nice to have a dairy-free meal (and easily gluten-free by changing the pasta!) in my back pocket.
CREAMY MUSHROOM AND PASTA FAQS
What mushrooms are best for this mushroom and pasta recipe?
We’re keeping it simple here: choose white or brown. White mushrooms are just that. The simplest of mushrooms, most mild in flavor and they’re white.
Brown mushrooms also go by the name of cremini or mini portabella, but they look just like white mushrooms, except they’re brown. These are one step up in flavor. They’re a bit heartier, but they don’t have any strong flavors that you’ll get if you venture into the other mushroom varieties.
I prefer to make this using brown mushrooms, but I took pictures using a combination of both white mushrooms and brown mushrooms so you could see how each would look in the final dish!
What is a mushroom pasta sauce made of?
This creamy pasta sauce comes from CASHEWS!! Ever since I made Vegan Nacho Cheese Sauce, I’ve been slightly fascinated with cashew sauce. Simply combine cashews, water, and pepper in a blender and you will have tasty and creamy mushroom sauce, no dairy necessary. That’s it!
MORE EASY WEEKNIGHT PASTA DISHES
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Creamy Mushroom Pasta
This simple creamy mushroom pasta recipe is full of rich, hearty, umami flavor! Naturally vegan and packed with veggies, it’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 4-6 1x
- Category: Main Meals
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: American
Instructions
- Cook pasta according to package directions.
- Meanwhile, heat 2 Tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet OR a dutch oven over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, thyme, and sage, and cook until the onions start to become translucent.
- Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms have cooked down by half. Add additional olive oil as necessary, scraping bits off the bottom of the pan as you go.
- When the pasta and mushrooms are done, combine the cashews, water, and pepper in a blender (I have this Blendtec) and blend until the sauce is creamy.
- Add the sauce to the mushrooms and stir well. Taste the mushrooms and sauce, adding additional seasoning and/or salt and pepper as desired.
Notes
- Either serve a la carte, or add the pasta to the mushrooms and stir well before serving.
- Best enjoyed warm, but leftovers are just as delicious!
- Place in an airtight container for up to three days.
