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Creamy Vegan Garlic Mushroom Pasta
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4.67 from 3 votes

Creamy Vegan Garlic Mushroom Pasta

This creamy vegan garlic mushroom pasta comes together in a speedy 30 minutes using simple techniques and just a brief list of ingredients that you're likely to already have on hand. It's a dream for any and all lovers of creamy pasta, garlic, and mushrooms. It makes the perfect weeknight meal for a family but something about it also feels special, almost fancy. Thus, in my book, it's also ideal for date nights and weekend dinner parties with friends.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Bigger Bites, Pasta
Cuisine: Gluten-Free, plant-based, Vegan
Servings: 4

Ingredients

Pasta

  • 12 ounces gluten-free linguine or rigatoni*

Garlic-Mushroom Cream Sauce

  • 2 ½ cups small, 1-inch fresh cauliflower florets, stemmed (not frozen)
  • 1 cup plain, unsweetened plant-based milk , plus more as needed to thin (I use almond milk)
  • ¼ cup raw cashews**
  • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes, plus more to taste if desired
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste if desired
  • 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt, plus more to taste
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
  • 1 pound cremini or button mushrooms, brushed or wiped clean, trimmed, and thickly sliced
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 6 cloves garlic or to taste, minced
  • 1 tablespoon stemmed and minced flatleaf parsley, plus more to taste***

Instructions

For the Pasta

  • Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. (As they say, your pasta water should be as salty as the sea.)
  • Add the pasta and cook until al dente.
  • Strain off the cooking water.

For the Garlic-Mushroom Cream Sauce

  • Meanwhile, bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the cauliflower florets to the pot and boil for 7 minutes or until very fork-tender. Strain off the water.
  • Add the boiled cauliflower florets, 1 cup of the plant-based milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper to a high-speed blender (do not use a food processor).
  • Blend on high for 2 minutes or until completely smooth and creamy. Set within reach of the stove.
  • Heat a large pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add the mushrooms, reduce heat to medium-high, and cook for 4 minutes, or until tender, nudging them around the pan as needed to prevent burning. It will initially seem like the mushrooms might burn but this is about the point when they will release their liquid. Continue cooking until there is just the tiniest amount of mushroom liquid remaining in the pan and the mushrooms have a deep golden-brown glisten to them.
  • Then, reduce heat to medium-low and add the garlic and olive oil. Continue to cook for another 2 minutes, or until the garlic mellows and softens, stirring frequently.
  • Stir in the cauliflower sauce, increase the heat to medium, and simmer for 1 minute, or until hot and bubbly.
  • Turn off the heat, add the pasta to the pan, and toss to coat. If a slightly thinner sauce is desired, add more plant-based milk, one small splash at a time, to thin (I usually add another ¼ to ½ cup). (Note: If you add more milk, you'll need to increase the seasoning to accommodate.)
  • Taste and generously season with more sea salt and black pepper to taste.
  • Serve immediately.

Notes

*For a rich and super creamy pasta (as pictured), use 12 ounces of pasta. For a slightly less saucy pasta, use up to 16 ounces (1 pound).
**If you're not using a high-speed blender (e.g., Vitamix or Blendtec), soak the cashews for at least 2 hours or boil for 10 minutes to soften. Also, keep in mind that, in addition to enhancing the richness of the sauce, raw cashews do impart a subtle sweetness to it as well. Thus, you'll need to balance this by adding a touch more salt than you might typically be accustomed to in other sauces. If a thinner, more naturally savory sauce is preferred, you can try omitting the cashews and adjusting the seasoning.
***Even if you're not typically a fan of parsley (my hand is raised), I strongly recommend that you add at least a little bit. It brightens the dish and adds a pop of freshness that balances and softens the savoriness of the cream sauce and mushrooms. If you're especially sensitive to its freshness, add the parsley to the sauce as it simmers to soften its grassy bite.