Smokey, tangy, creamy, carbs.
I’m busy, you’re busy, we’re all busy. So sometimes we need a super simple, super fast, super comforting meal at the end of the day. Boy, do I have the thing for you. This vegan creamy, smokey balsamic mushroom pasta is that thing. Incredibly thick and rich cream sauce tossed with pasta and topped with nice smokey balsamic mushrooms. I seriously feel like this pasta is so good, it must be really bad for me, but it is totally not, at all.
Oil free, protein rich, and yet still exactly what I think of when I think about comfort food. The cream sauce is a simple cashew cream, made a bit cheesy with nutritional yeast. It goes so well with these sauteed mushrooms. They get all glazed and awesome with liquid smoke and balsamic vinegar, and they are incredible!
This vegan mushroom pasta is so fast. You can get this done in the time it takes to cook the pasta. Blend the cashew cream, saute the mushrooms, drain the pasta, toss. I topped mine with some fresh basil and it was a beautiful as it was delicious!
Vegan creamy smokey balsamic mushroom pasta is something my family asks for all the time, and I’m pretty confident you will come back to this recipe again and again. It is hard not to love. Quick, check. Easy, check. Healthy, check. Can be made gluten free, check. Oil free, check. Incredibly delicious, check. Need I say more?
Vegan Creamy Smokey Balsamic Mushroom Pasta
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Raw cashews, soaked
- 1 Cup Vegetable broth
- 2 Tablespoons Nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon Lemon juice
- 1 Tablespoon Olive oil
- 4 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 10 Ounces Mushrooms,sliced (I used baby bellas)
- 2 Teaspoons Liquid smoke
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar
- 16 ounces Pasta
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- You need to soak the cashews for 6-8 hours or overnight. Or if you are in a pinch, soak them in boiling water for 15-30 minutes.
- When you are ready, boil water for the pasta and cook the pasta according to package instructions. Drain when it is done.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the cream sauce. Drain the cashews you soaked and add them to a blender. Then add the veggie broth, nutritional yeast, lemon juice and a few pinches of salt and pepper.
- Blend on high, scraping down the sides as needed, until completely smooth. This may take a few minutes. Set aside.
- Now, in a non stick or cast iron skillet, heat the olive oil (or you can use a splash of veggie broth for an oil free option) on medium high. Now add in the garlic and mushrooms.
- Saute the mushrooms and garlic for about 3-4 minutes, reducing heat as needed until the mushrooms release their liquid and begin to brown. Season with a few pinches of salt and pepper.
- Then, add the liquid smoke and balsamic. Continue to saute until the mushrooms are nice and brown and coated in balsamic. Remove from heat.
- Now, once the pasta is drained, return it to the pot you cooked it in. Then pour the cream sauce into the pot and toss the pasta in the sauce. Then add the mushrooms.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, you may need a bit more salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Marina
This looks delicious … I was thinking of using some of the pasta cooking water for the stock, would that work?
Lauren Hartmann
Sure! I think that would definitely work out!
Stuti
Is there a substitute for liquid smoke?
Lauren Hartmann
You could try vegan worcestershire sauce, or you can always skip it. The recipe would still be delicious!
Erin
Can I use a nut other than cashew? We have an allergy to pistachios and cashews in the house. 🙂
Lauren Hartmann
I think sun flower seeds may work, or tofu is also a good alternative. You may be able to use almonds, but I would recommend skinless ones.
Autumn
This was so so good! Even my non vegan husband loved it, and he’s picky about vegan food. Unfortunately we didn’t have liquid smoke on hand but it was still super delicious!
Kathryn Khoury
Hi, I was wondering if I should double the sauce? It seems like a lot of pasta in comparison to the amount of pasta? Making this today, sounds amazing!
Lauren Hartmann
I think it is the right amount of sauce. I try to make sure that my recipes work out in proper ratios. However, if you feel like you will want more sauce, by all means you can double it. The sauce is delicious, so it definitely couldn’t hurt!:)
Kathryn Khoury
This recipe is amazing! Everyone loved it! Just like all of your recipes! Thank you for sharing!
Penny
I made this recently (with bow tie pasta), and it was delicious–thank you!
Christin
I made this and it was SUPER delicious. I have one question though… I have left overs and want to heat it up for tomorrow but think the sauce will be too thick to nuke in the microwave. How would you recommend heating it back up for tomorrow?
Lauren Hartmann
I recommend adding a splash of plant milk to the pasta. And stir to thin it out, then microwave!
Kara
I am going to make this in the next couple of days! Looks amazing!!!! What pasta did you use? It looks much more enticing than what I usually get! 😂
Jennifer
This was fabulous! Just like all the other recipes I’ve tried from your website! I didn’t’’t have quite enough mushrooms so I supplemented with some dried mushrooms. I strained the dried mushroom soaking water and used that as the ‘broth’ for the sauce. It was lovely. Everyone loved it. Thank you!
K
This was SO GOOD! My partner doesn’t like balsamic vinegar but the liquid smoke and garlic transform it into something magical. Loved this recipe for the start of fall and will make again.
Sara wilfong
I’ve made this twice for my non vegan husband and kids and they love it. Great recipe!
Eva
I finally made this and was blown away by the flavor!! Wow it was absolutely delicious! I’ve had a bottle of liquid smoke just sitting in my pantry forever! Now I want that in everything! Really good stuff. I made mine with rotini pasta but definitely want to switch up the pasta next time as this will definitely be in my meal rotation! Thank you for another delicious recipe!!