Vegan Richa

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Creamy Mushroom Spinach Pasta

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A quick recipe for vegan mushroom and spinach pasta that is ready in under 30 minutes. Loaded up with sautéed balsamic mushrooms and fresh spinach, all tossed in a heavenly creamy cashew sauce. Jump to Recipe

side view of a plate of vegan mushroom and spinach pasta with cashew sauce

I have been on a major pasta spree lately. Having made this Vegan Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake about 7 times last month, I felt it was time to throw another creamy vegan pasta dish into the mix. This creamy vegan mushroom spinach pasta! It rivals any fancy pasta dish you can find on an Italian restaurant menu. But without the cream, and with all the cozy and comforting flavors you crave in pasta.

This recipe for spinach pasta is a quick and easy vegan weeknight dinner that is creamy, garlic-rich, and simply fun to slurp up with your family. The cooked pasta is coated in a creamy, slightly cheesy, velvety cashew sauce that can be made in a blender within minutes. To take this to the next level of pasta deliciousness, we’re adding sautéed balsamic mushrooms for a boost of umami and fresh spinach for a touch of color.

overhead shot of a plate of creamy vegan mushroom and spinach pasta

Ingredients for making this spinach pasta recipe:

  • Pasta – go with your favorite type and shape and cook according to the instructions on the package. I opted for Orichetti Pasta for this recipe, but fusilli or penne would also do.
  • Mushrooms – button mushrooms, cremini or portabella would be great. But you could also use chanterelle or oyster.
  • Soy sauce or Tamari boosts the mushrooms’ natural umami and makes these off the charts delicious! A splash of balsamic vinegar adds some sweetness and acidity.
  • Onion and garlic are essential for this pasta dish’s flavor. You can use garlic powder for the sauce, but for the mushrooms, we want fresh. Make sure not to brown the garlic or it will turn bitter.
  • Cashews form the base of the creamy sauce and should be soaked for at least an hour. Alternatively, do a quick soak by boiling them in hot water for 5 minutes.
  • I add a small amount of flour just to thicken the sauce some more. It also creates a smoother texture.
  • Nutritional yeast for that signature cheesy taste. It’s optional but I would not want to miss it in this one.
  • Seasonings: onion powder, ground mustard as well as some dried sage, oregano, and thyme for that homey flavor.  Smoked paprika for a touch of earthy smokiness.

close-up of a plate of pasta with mushrooms and spinach

Tips and substitutions:

  • I recommend you serve this right away, stove to table, so to speak.
  • However, you CAN reheat leftovers on the stove the next day. I recommend warming it up on medium heat, adding a splash of nut milk. The sauce firms up quite a bit overnight.
  • You can use miso paste instead of nutritional yeast.  Miso is a Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans and has a rich, salty flavor you will love.
  • I use fresh spinach but you could get away with frozen and thawed spinach. Make sure to blot the thawed spinach dry between layers of kitchen towels
  • To make the pasta nut-free, you can use my nut-free Alfredo.

How to make Creamy Vegan Mushroom Spinach Pasta:

Cook pasta according to the instructions on the pack.

overhead shot of a pan with sauteed balsamic mushrooms

Heat 2 tsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Cook the minced onion, garlic, and mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 7 to 8 mins until they are golden brown.

Add balsamic vinegar, white wine, 1/2 cup water, thyme, and smoked paprika along with your soy sauce. Cook partially covered for another 10 mins.

For making the creamy cashew pasta sauce, blend all the ingredients listed under sauce in a blender or food processor. Bring the sauce to a boil in a medium-sized pan. Add the cooked pasta and toss.

Add the fresh spinach and mix in just until wilted.

overhead shot of a black pot with creamy vegan spinach pasta topped with balsamic mushrooms

Take the saucepan off the heat. Add the mushrooms and serve right away.

What to serve with this creamy vegan pasta dish:

This pasta dish would taste amazing with a simple green salad, some roasted brussels sprouts, garlic bread or sauteed or some crispy tofu.

More vegan pasta recipes from the blog:

side view of a plate with vegan spinach pasta with balsamic mushrooms
Print Recipe
5 from 22 votes

Creamy Vegan Mushroom Spinach Pasta 

A quick recipe for vegan mushroom and spinach pasta that is ready in under 30 minutes. Loaded up with sautéed balsamic mushrooms and fresh spinach, all tossed in a heavenly creamy cashew sauce.
Prep Time10 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Total Time40 mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Italian
Keyword: creamy vegan pasta recipe, mushroom pasta recipe, recipe for spinach pasta
Servings: 4
Calories: 389.08kcal
Author: Vegan Richa

Ingredients

  • 8  to 10 oz (226.8 g) orichetti

For the Mushrooms:

  • 2 tsp oil
  • 1/2 cup (80 g) onion
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 8 oz (226.8 g) mushrooms sliced
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tbsp white wine
  • 1/2 cup (118.29 ml) water
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tbsp of soy sauce or 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

For the Sauce

  • 1/2 cup (64.5 g) cashews soaked for at least an hour or do a quick soak by boiling them for 5 minutes
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 cup (236.59 ml) water
  • 1/3 tsp salt
  • 3/4 tsp garlic powder or 6 cloves of roasted garlic
  • 1/4 tsp each sage, thyme and oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/4 tsp onion powder
  • 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tsp nutritional yeast optional - use a tsp of miso instead
  • 3-4 oz (85.05 g) fresh spinach

Instructions

  • Cook pasta according to the instructions on the pack.
  • Heat 2 tsp of oil in a frying pan. Cook the minced onion, garlic, and mushrooms with a pinch of salt for 7 to 8 mins until they are golden brown.
  • Add balsamic vinegar, white wine, 1/2 cup water, thyme, and smoked paprika along with your soy sauce. Cook partially covered for another 10 mins.
  • For making the creamy pasta sauce, blend all the ingredients listed under sauce in a blender or food processor. Bring the sauce to a boil in a medium-sized pan. Carefully taste and adjust salt and flavor of the sauce. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Add the fresh spinach and mix it in until wilted.
  • Take the saucepan off the heat.
  • Top with the sauteed balsamic mushrooms and serve

Video

Notes

  • I recommend you serve this right away, stove to table, so to speak. 
  • However, you can reheat leftovers on the stove the next day. I recommend warming it up on medium heat, adding a splash of nut milk. The sauce firms up quite a bit overnight. 
  • You can use miso paste instead of nutritional yeast.  Miso is a Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans and has a rich, salty flavor you will love.
  • I use fresh spinach but you could get away with frozen and thawed spinach. Make sure to blot the thawed spinach dry between layers of kitchen towels
  • To make the pasta nut-free, you can use my nut-free Alfredo. or use silken tofu like my Spinach Artichoke Pasta Bake

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Spinach Pasta 
Amount Per Serving
Calories 389.08 Calories from Fat 112
% Daily Value*
Fat 12.39g19%
Saturated Fat 1.9g12%
Sodium 505.1mg22%
Potassium 590.03mg17%
Carbohydrates 56.09g19%
Fiber 4.06g17%
Sugar 5.21g6%
Protein 14.16g28%
Vitamin A 2116.89IU42%
Vitamin C 9.75mg12%
Calcium 47.6mg5%
Iron 2.95mg16%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

 



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  2. Made this tonight with ditalini and peas instead of spinach since it’s what I had on hand. Delicious as usual! Thank you!

    Reply

  4. 5 stars
    Wow! Just made this for dinner. All I can say is it was fabulous! Made exactly as directed, husband and I devoured the whole thing!

    Reply

  5. 5 stars
    Easy to follow recipe. So yummy and definitely comforting. I made it tonight and will definitely make it again! I didn’t have white wine so I just left it out.

    Reply

  9. 5 stars
    I am not vegan or even vegetarian, but this dish is awesome!! I did double the amount of spinach just to have a little more greenery. So yummy!! Thank you for sharing.

    Reply

  13. 5 stars
    This quarantine period, I start cooking different foods and I found your blog is very helpful. Morning I cooked Aalo gobi wrap and now I’ll try this. Such a talented girl you are 🙂

    Reply

  14. 5 stars
    Made this last week exactly as the recipe instructed. It was incredible! Got the ingredients to make it again on my latest grocery run. This time we’re going to throw in some peas. The sauce by itself is so delicious we will use it to make mac and cheeze. Thank you, Richa!!

    Reply

  15. 5 stars
    Hi from india 👋
    I don’t have miso paste or Yeast.
    Also no onion powder , can I still go ahead making the recipe

    Reply

    • Hi there from India! The nutritional yeast is optional so if you don’t have it, just omit it. You can still make this without onion powder, it just won’t have that onion aspect in the sauce but you could increase the onion in the mushrooms a bit to make up for it – I’d say increase by 2Tbsp or so.

      Reply

  17. 5 stars
    I made this tonight with whole wheat rotini and kept everything else the same. Happy to say it was out of this world! Definitely making again 🙂

    Reply

  19. 5 stars
    I made this recipe tonight and it was absolutely delicious!! I can’t get over how good it was. I can’t wait to make it again soon!

    Reply

  20. 5 stars
    Very nice. I added a another tablespoon or so of nutritional yeast flakes at the end and served with fried tofu – delicious – thank you!

    Reply

  22. 5 stars
    You being my absolute hero for indian recipes, I was curious how this would taste, and it was very nice! Thank you very much, will make this more often 😀

    A few questions/remarks:

    1) Is it ok to replace the whine with whine acid? and should I adjust the amount then?

    2) I did struggle a bit with the sauce, because it stuck to my pan/burned a bit and was a lot thicker than I saw in the video. I added a bit more water, which helped, but maybe I added just a little too much flour. Could that have been the problem?

    3) Another thing I would like to mention, is that with all your recipes I made I realized that ‘serves 4’ means ‘serves 2’ for me :p With this one it was even a bit less than 2 servings for me. This isn’t a big deal, because now I know, but even though I am a big eater (while being thin), I truly think more people would have to increase the indicated amounts to be sure their stomach will be filled.

    Just a few remarks, but besides that I am forever grateful for your recipes! After almost 2 decades of being a lazy cook, I am spending more time in the kitchen than I ever did before, just to explore your vegan recipes! Many many thanks, you make me a happy vegan! <3

    Reply

    • 1. Not sure what’s wine acid
      2. It’s probably the pan. It might be heating up too quickly at the bottom or some thing, just keep stirring more frequently and add more water. You can blend with more water to begin with.
      3. Recipes can easily be doubled there is a slider on the serving size but you can increase for the increased amounts 🙂
      Happy cooking!

      Reply

      • Thank you for your responses, miss Richa and support haha. Sorry about the confusion, I meant wine vinegar 🙂 It is all clear many thanks, I’ll just give this another try in a few weeks!

        And the reason I put the remark on the amounts, was not for myself but for people who are new here and just follow the recipe plus the amounts as indicated. I just think for many people the amounts indicated in these recipes will not be enough, even for less big eaters than me. So I think it is smart to indicate somewhere that one should pay attention to that, because sometimes it is hard to tell from the recipe if the amounts are too little for someone when it is all put together.

        And yes I enjoy 😀

        Reply

    • Vegan Super Hero!!! I love it! sure. you can replace the same amount wine with an acid or even white grape juice or broth. As for the thickness – did you use too much flour – more than the 1T? if you left out the wine that would also affect the thickness of the sauce and if you cooked it past the boiling point. take it off of the heat as soon as it reaches a boil. Servings are objective!! enjoy

      Reply

  23. 5 stars
    This was delicious. I misread the recipe and ended up blending the spinach with the rest of the sauce ingredients. My 6 and 4 year olds absolutely loved the resultant bright green sauce and it made it a lot easier to get them to eat their spinach! It is now called “Halloween Sauce” in our house.

    Reply

  24. 5 stars
    Wow!! We had this tonight. It was delicious!! We used fresh garden kale instead of spinach. When it was ready to serve, we mixed everything together instead of topping the pasta and sauce with the mushrooms. We’re already looking forward to making again. I’ve also shared the link with a few other vegan friends! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply

  25. 5 stars
    This was so delicious! Just what we were craving. I actually added both the nutritional yeast and mild white miso. Freshly grated pepper on top. Will definitely be making again! Thank you

    Reply

  26. 5 stars
    Wow! This was truly phenomenal! Unfortunately, I read the recipe a little too quickly and ended up blending the spinach in with the sauce. 😬 The end result was a cashew cream that looked quite different than its intended color (a pretty light green 😆), but was still good nonetheless! Then I tasted that mushroom sauce… Holy moly!! It was next level flavor!! The combination of everything together was simply out of this world!!!! Although I know it’s the kind of dish that’s best served right away, I am so glad that I doubled the recipe so we have a little left over for lunch tomorrow. However, I had to ask my husband not to take more so we’d have enough for the next day! 😆 One thing’s for sure, I will definitely be making this again!! Thank you Richa!!!! 😊

    Reply

  28. 5 stars
    Absolutely delicious!!! Never would have believed the sauce was made with cashews and nutritional yeast … divine!!

    Reply

  32. 5 stars
    What vegetable would you suggest to suggest instead of mushroom? I was thinking another vegetable that soaks up flavour well, like courgette, but my partner doesn’t like either of those!

    Reply
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