Buttery White Wine Mushroom Pasta (Vegan)
This vegan buttery white wine mushroom pasta is an indulgent dairy-free pasta dinner. The mushrooms are deeply seared, creating a savory flavor. The shallots, garlic, dry white wine, and vegan butter add complexity. This recipe is hearty, creamy without using cream, and irresistible.
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Pasta Perfect for Cozy Nights
I wanted to create a white wine mushroom pasta similar to an indulgent restaurant dinner, but also easy to make on a weeknight. The sauce had to be rich, but not so rich it took away from the mushrooms. Sounds easy, right?
Well, not so much. I tested this recipe several times, with vegan cream and without, with vegan cheese and without. I found that any combination of vegan cream and/or cheese made the dish too heavy. Omitting them was the only way to make the mushrooms the signature flavor. In this case, vegan butter and white wine added richness without being overpowering.
I served this with roasted red pepper soup and warm homemade bread, and my family loved it!
Eat sinfully, live kindly ❤️
Ruth
Why This Vegan Mushroom Pasta Works
Ingredients and Substitutions
Key Ingredient and Substitution Notes
Mushrooms
This recipe uses a lot of mushrooms, maybe more than you expected. I designed it this way so that mushrooms are the predominant flavor. Mushrooms have a high water content and shrink in the searing process. I stick with cremini or baby bella mushrooms. You can use your favorite variety or a mix.
Pasta Shape
I found this recipe works best with a long, straight noodle such as spaghetti or linguine. You can also use bucatini. I would avoid angel hair or small pasta shapes like macaroni or orecchiette.
Vegan Butter
Vegan butter is what makes this recipe indulgent. For this recipe, I developed it using stick vegan butter. If you use whipped butter, you might need to add more than the recipe calls for. My favorite brands are Earth Balance and Melt.
- Substitution: You can stay plant-based by searing the mushrooms in olive oil. Another substitute is traditional dairy butter.
Shallot
A shallot adds a mild onion flavor without overpowering the recipe.
- Substitution: a white or yellow onion, diced small instead of a shallot
Dry White Wine
Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio are my recommendations for this white wine mushroom pasta recipe. They add complexity without adding sweetness. Note that some white wines have added isinglass or casein, which are animal products. To check if your wine is vegan, visit Barnivore.
- Substitution: White cooking wine. It is easily found in most grocery stores near the vinegars.
Dijon Mustard
A small amount of Dijon mustard adds a bit of tanginess and helps emulsify the butter and wine sauce.
See the recipe card for complete information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Mushroom Pasta
1
Step One: Cook the Pasta
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Then cook the pasta according to the pasta instructions. When the pasta is just shy of al dente, reserve one cup of pasta water and drain the pasta
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Step Two: Cook the Mushrooms
Heat a cast iron or other heavy-bottomed skillet until it’s hot. Add the vegan butter and olive oil and sear the mushrooms. Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the shallots. Add the garlic and cook until it’s fragrant. Add white wine and scrape the bottom of the skillet to release the browned mushroom bits. Allow the wine to reduce by half before moving on to the next step.
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Step Three: Combine and Garnish
Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the Dijon mustard and ¼ cup of the pasta water. Then toss in the pasta and ¾ of the mushrooms. Add the remaining vegan butter while continuing to toss the pasta. Remove the skillet from the heat, stir in fresh lemon juice and parsley. Sprinkle the remaining mushrooms on top of the pasta.
What to Serve With Mushroom Pasta
- Kale side salad to add vegetables.
- Oven-roasted broccoli as a side dish.
- Homemade bread to soak up the extra sauce.
How to Store and Reheat Mushroom Pasta
- Refrigerator instructions: Store the mushroom pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will continue to thicken while stored.
- Reheating instructions: Reheat the pasta in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water or vegetable broth to loosen the sauce. Note: The longer the sauce has been stored, the more liquid you will need to add.
- Freezer instructions: I do not recommend freezing this mushroom pasta recipe.
How Did It Go?
I hope you loved this vegan mushroom pasta as much as I do! Before you go, please leave me a rating and a comment letting me know how it went.
Buttery White Wine Mushroom Pasta (Vegan)
Equipment
- 1 large pot
- 1 cast iron or heavy skillet
Ingredients
- 12 ounces linguine or spaghetti
- 24 ounces cremini mushrooms sliced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil divided, plus more if needed
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter divided
- 1 large shallot thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup dry white wine
- ¼ teaspoon Dijon mustard
- ½ to 1 cup reserved pasta water as needed
- Kosher salt to taste
- freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 to 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
- ¼ cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Instructions
- Cook the pasta: Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Cook the pasta until just shy of al dente. Reserve at least 1 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Sear the mushrooms: Heat a large cast-iron skillet or heavy-bottom skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon vegan butter, then add half of the mushrooms in a single layer (you might have to work in batches). Leave them undisturbed for 3 to 4 minutes, or until deeply browned on the first side. Turn and continue cooking until well browned with slightly crisp edges. Repeat until all the mushrooms are sautéed.Season lightly with salt and black pepper toward the end of cooking. Transfer the mushrooms to a plate. Transfer the browned mushrooms to the plate.
- Cook the shallot: Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of vegan butter and the shallot. Cook for about 2 minutes, until softened. Add the garlic and cook for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
- Deglaze with white wine: Pour in the white wine and scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the cast-iron skillet. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the wine has reduced by roughly half.
- Combine: Add 3/4 of the browned mushrooms back to the skillet and toss to coat them in the wine mixture. Add the cooked pasta, Dijon mustard, and about ¼ cup of reserved pasta water. Toss over medium-low heat until everything is well combined.
- Build the buttery sauce: Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegan butter, one tablespoon at a time, tossing well after each addition. Add additional pasta water a splash at a time as needed. Continue tossing until the butter and pasta water emulsify into a glossy sauce that lightly coats the pasta rather than pooling in the skillet.
- Finish the pasta: Remove the skillet from the heat. Add 1 teaspoon lemon juice and the parsley. Toss well. Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, or black pepper as needed.
Notes
- Sear the mushrooms in batches to avoid overcrowding. Mushrooms must have space to sear; crowding will result in steaming.
- Before searing, add the olive oil first and then the butter. This protects the butter from burning.
- Add lemon at the end; adding it during the cooking process can result in a bitter flavor.
- This dish is best served immediately.
- Refrigerator instructions: Store the mushroom pasta in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The sauce will continue to thicken while stored.
- Reheating instructions: Reheat the pasta in a skillet over medium-low heat. Add a splash of water or vegetable broth to loosen the sauce. Note: The longer the sauce has been stored, the more liquid you will need to add.
- Freezer instructions: I do not recommend freezing this mushroom pasta recipe.