Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta
A gourmet-style vegan dinner that you can make any night of the week! This creamy vegan mushroom pasta has an easy nut-free and dairy-free sauce made from tofu making it quite filling.
Tofu provides the richness and creaminess that an Alfredo pasta recipe deserves. Plus, a high-protein meal everyone will enjoy! It can easily be made oil-free too.
I wish could tell you how much thought and planning went into creating this recipe and why this unusual combo of ingredients makes sense.
But the truth is, it was made on a whim, and out of necessity to survive hunger the night of a long day at work. Plus, it needed to be quick.
But upon opening my refrigerator that night, all I had to work with were some tofu, white miso paste, ground sesame seeds, frozen broccoli and gluten-free pasta.
While living in Japan, a favourite bread shop and cafe of mine sold a very delicious sandwich made with a sesame-miso spread. It was a unique mix that had a slightly cheesy tang, which eventually inspired the flavors of this dish.
That night, using my trusty stick blender, I blended those flavors together with some silken tofu, nutritional yeast and seasonings.
The result was the creamiest, cheesiest vegan Alfredo pasta sauce EVER! Done in minutes and made without dairy, cashews or other nuts.
Tofu is the best substitute for heavy cream in an Alfredo sauce because it’s so creamy and high in protein. This is the only vegan Alfredo recipe that can keep me full for hours. Here’s the exact photo from the first time I made it:
I’ve made this recipe countless times and have added more ingredients to make it even better. My favourite additions include sautéed King Oyster mushrooms and broccoli. I love King Oyster mushrooms!
I usually seasoning them with my favourite spice blend and liquid aminos to give them the “meatiest” flavor and texture (more details on liquid aminos in the Recipe Notes below). If you can’t find King Oyster Mushrooms, that’s ok! Feel free to use any mushrooms you’d like.
Healthy Tip: Make this recipe oil-free by simply excluding the oil from the mushrooms. I would recommend using a non-stick frying pan for oil-free cooking.
Add a couple tablespoons of water to the pan with the mushrooms and seasonings. Simmer lightly until all the liquid is absorbed and the mushrooms start to brown.
If you’d rather a tofu-free version of this recipe, check out my Coconut Cream Pasta recipe or the Vegan Fettuccine Alfredo recipe from my 3 Course Gluten-free, Vegan Dinner for Two. It’s made with cashew milk.
More easy vegan pasta recipes:
- Vegan Mushroom Lentil Meatballs
- Crispy Pan-fried Vegan Gnocchi
- Simple Pumpkin Pasta
- Vegan One Pot Pasta
- Vegan Stuffed Shells with Almond Ricotta
Vegan Mushroom Pasta
Equipment
- Stand or Stick Blender
Baking Recipes: For more accuracy, use Metric measurements and measuring spoons.
Ingredients
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 4 large King Oyster Mushrooms
- 2 tsp liquid aminos, (see Recipe Notes Below)
- 1 tsp all-purpose seasoning
- 8 oz dried spaghetti
- 1 head broccoli, large
Tofu Alfredo Sauce
- 1 shallot sized onion, (or 1/4 large onion)
- 3 cloves garlic
- 6 oz silken tofu, drained
- 3 tbsp shiro or white miso paste, (see Recipe Notes)
- 2 tbsp ground toasted sesame seeds, (or 1 tbsp tahini)
- 1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1-2 tbsp vinegar, white or apple cider
- ¼ cup water
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a large enough pot of water to boil for the pasta.
- Meanwhile, slice the mushrooms, chop the onion and garlic and cut the head of broccoli into florets (tiny broccoli heads).4 large King Oyster Mushrooms ,1 shallot sized onion ,3 cloves garlic ,1 head broccoli
- Add the pasta to boiling water and cook according to the suggested package directions. Add broccoli pieces to pasta water during the last 30 seconds (and no longer). Drain both pasta and broccoli and keep warm.8 oz dried spaghetti
- Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the mushrooms, cooking about 2 minutes. When they start to brown, add the liquid aminos and all-purpose seasoning. Reduce heat and cook for a few seconds more before removing them from the pan.2 tsp liquid aminos ,1 tsp all-purpose seasoning ,1 tsp olive oil
- To a blender, add all the ingredients for the Alfredo sauce. Blend until smooth and creamy. Add to the frying pan and heat on low until the sauce starts to thicken some more. Stir often to prevent sticking. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking.1 shallot sized onion ,3 cloves garlic ,6 oz silken tofu ,3 tbsp shiro or white miso paste ,2 tbsp ground toasted sesame seeds ,1-2 tbsp nutritional yeast ,1-2 tbsp vinegar ,1/4 cup water ,salt and pepper to taste
- Add pasta and broccoli to the sauce and stir until evenly coated. Add cooked mushrooms, remove from heat and serve immediately.
Notes
- Liquid aminos is a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce. It can be made from soybeans or coconut nectar. It’s usually salty so I’d recommend not adding too much all-purpose seasoning to the mushrooms or use a salt-free version.
- White miso paste is commonly used in Japanese cuisine to make soups and sauces. It’s also made from soybeans and it adds an appealing “umami” or savoury flavour to foods. There are many varieties of miso but white or sweet miso is the mildest tasting. Best type to start with if you’ve never tried miso before. Unfortunately, miso paste is usually NOT gluten-free but alternatives are available.
- Check your local grocery stores or Asian food stores for tofu and other Asian ingredients.
- Make this recipe oil-free by simply excluding the oil from the mushrooms. I would recommend using a non-stick frying pan for oil-free cooking. Add a couple tablespoons of water to the pan with the mushrooms and seasonings. Simmer lightly until all the liquid is absorbed and the mushrooms start to brown.
- More Vegan Pasta Recipes: Coconut Cream Pasta, Simple Vegan Pumpkin Pasta, Crispy Pan-fried Vegan Gnocchi
This was so delicious! I used 8 oz of sliced button mushrooms in place of the King Oyster mushrooms, fettuccini pasta and added two vegan Italian sausages, sliced. Also steamed the broccoli separately (family member doesn’t like broccoli). A beautiful and tasty dish!
Thanks for trying it Valeree!
Do I have to serve right away? I want to make this for a dish to bring to a party our vegan family members have a variety of thing to eat.
Hi Jonee,
The pasta may get mushier if it’s left overnight however the flavour will be fine. It may help to cook the pasta to al dente if you plan on eating it the same day but not immediately after cooking. Or cook it about a minute less than al dente if you plan on serving it the next day. I hope this helps.
Just made tonight. Was so yummy! Caramelized onion and garlic before adding to alfredo sauce. Adding broccoli to the already boiling spaghetti water is such a great trick. Tasted much cheesier, much more alfredo-saucy than I thought it would, especially considering all the asian ingredients. 10/10
So happy you enjoyed it James! Thank you for trying it!
Do you think it’s possible to make the sauce ahead of time and freeze? Have you tried this?
Hi Ali, oftentimes when I freeze tofu, the texture changes. It goes from creamy to curdles which is great if making tofu scramble but I wouldn’t recommend freezing this sauce if you’d like to maintain the creaminess.
did anyone actually make this that can give me an honest review? please stop giving something stars without experimenting yourself.
Thanks for the suggestion Devon. Now all ratings will require a comment to be left.
Thank you for creating this blog. I have longed for an opportunity to try some of your delicious pieces that I see on your insta page. I will try them and let you know. Thank you again for doing this.
Thanks so much Ulandae! I hope you enjoy them 🙂
I haven’t worked with oyster mushrooms yet! What an exciting addition to your Alfredo pasta! Looks delicious!
Thanks Megan! Oh you must try them! They are easy to work with so you really can’t go wrong.
looks yummy
Thanks Chloe! 🙂
Janelle hi there,
This recipe looks amazing, I am definitely going to try it out asap and I’ll post the pic on my Instagram page giving a shout out to you…. It looks so creamy and delish! ?
Thank you Sue! That sounds amazing! Can’t wait to see it!
Wow so detailed. This is a must try
Thanks Tasha-Kay! Let me know if you do!