This is a creamy mushroom pasta built around a cashew cream sauce and a mix of shiitake, cremini, and oyster mushrooms. It comes together in about 40 minutes and uses one pan for the sauce and mushrooms, plus a pot for the pasta. The honest reason to make it: it’s genuinely filling and the sauce tastes richer than the ingredient list suggests.
Before you start
The cashew cream is the one step that requires planning ahead. Cashews need to soak for at least 2 hours in cold water — or 20 minutes in just-boiled water if you’re short on time — before they’ll blend completely smooth. Under-soaked cashews leave a gritty texture in the sauce that no amount of extra blending will fully fix. The second thing that matters: don’t crowd the mushrooms in the pan. Cook them in a single layer and resist stirring for the first couple of minutes. Crowding traps steam and the mushrooms stew instead of brown, which means less flavor in the final dish.
Common problems and fixes
- Sauce breaks or looks grainy after adding it to the pan: The heat was too high. Add the cashew cream off the heat or over low heat only, then stir steadily. If it’s already broken, whisk in a splash of warm pasta water — the starch helps it come back together.
- Pasta clumps while you finish the sauce: Toss the drained noodles with a small drizzle of olive oil right after draining. They’ll hold without sticking for 5–10 minutes.
- Sauce is too thick by the time it hits the table: Cashew cream continues to thicken as it sits. Keep a cup of pasta water nearby and stir in a tablespoon or two just before serving to loosen it back up.
- Mushrooms release a lot of liquid and the pan gets watery: Let the liquid cook off completely before adding garlic and paprika. This takes patience — usually 3–5 extra minutes — but skipping it makes the sauce thin and flat-tasting.
- Dish tastes flat overall: Tamari and nutritional yeast both need salt to bloom. Taste after combining everything and add salt in small increments. A small squeeze of extra lemon juice at the end also sharpens the whole dish noticeably.
Ingredient notes
- Cashews: Use raw, unsalted cashews only. Roasted cashews change the flavor of the sauce and won’t blend as smoothly.
- Nutritional yeast: Sold in most grocery stores near the bulk foods or natural foods section. Brands vary in intensity — start with the amount in the recipe and adjust to taste after blending.
- Tamari vs. soy sauce: Either works. Tamari is gluten-free and slightly less sharp; regular soy sauce is fine if gluten isn’t a concern. Coconut aminos is a lower-sodium swap but adds a faint sweetness — reduce it slightly.
- Mushroom mix: If you can only find one variety, cremini alone works well. Avoid canned mushrooms — the texture turns soft and the flavor is muted.
- Smoked paprika: Don’t substitute sweet paprika here. The smokiness is doing real work in the sauce and sweet paprika produces a noticeably blander result. Skip the garnish of fresh parsley — not worth the extra cutting board.
Storage and reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The sauce thickens considerably overnight, so reheat on the stovetop over low heat and add a few tablespoons of water or unsweetened plant milk to loosen it — do this gradually so you don’t over-thin it. Microwave reheating works in a pinch; cover the bowl and stir halfway through. Freezing is possible but not ideal: the cashew cream can separate and the noodles go soft. If you want to freeze a portion, freeze the sauce separately from the pasta for up to 6 weeks, then cook fresh noodles when you’re ready to eat.
Vegan Mushroom Stroganoff
Equipment
- 1 Large skillet
- 1 Blender or food processor
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Chef's knife
- 1 Cutting board
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil preferably cold-pressed
- 1 large yellow onion thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 16 oz mixed mushrooms shiitake, cremini, and oyster mushrooms sliced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 tablespoon tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper or to taste
- 12 oz fettuccine or tagliatelle pasta preferably whole wheat or gluten-free if needed
Cashew Cream Sauce
- ¾ cup raw cashews soaked in water for 2–4 hours or boiled for 10 minutes
- 1 cup unsweetened plant-based milk like oat or soy
- 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast for depth and umami
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice freshly squeezed
- ½ teaspoon sea salt or to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the cashew cream sauce: blend soaked cashews, plant-based milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, and sea salt until very smooth. Set aside.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water.
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat (about 375°F / 190°C). Add onions and sauté for 5–7 minutes until translucent and slightly caramelized.
- Add minced garlic and smoked paprika. Stir and cook for 30 seconds until aromatic.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and cook uncovered for 8–10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they release moisture and begin to brown.
- Add the tamari and black pepper. Stir to coat the mushrooms evenly.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low (around 300°F / 150°C). Pour in the prepared cashew cream sauce. Stir gently to incorporate, letting it simmer for 5 minutes while it thickens. If needed, add a bit of reserved pasta water for consistency.
- Add the cooked pasta to the pan and gently toss until well coated in the sauce.
Notes
- For a deeper flavor, deglaze the mushrooms with 2 tablespoons of dry white wine before adding the cashew cream.
- If short on time, soak the cashews in boiling water for 10 minutes instead of hours.
- Substitute tamari with coconut aminos for a soy-free version.
Nutrition
Common questions
Can I make the cashew cream ahead of time?
Yes — you can blend it up to 3 days in advance and keep it refrigerated in a sealed jar. It thickens in the fridge, so give it a good stir and thin it with a splash of plant milk before adding it to the pan.
What can I use instead of cashews if I have a nut allergy?
Full-fat canned coconut cream is the most reliable swap — use it in the same quantity and skip the soaking step entirely. It adds a faint coconut flavor, but the tamari and smoked paprika largely mask it.
Do I have to use wide noodles, or can I use something else?
Any pasta shape works. Wide noodles like fettuccine or tagliatelle hold the sauce well, but penne, rigatoni, or even spaghetti are all fine. Shorter shapes with ridges actually grip the sauce nicely if that’s what you have on hand.
Is this dish gluten-free?
It can be. Use tamari instead of soy sauce and swap in your preferred gluten-free pasta. Everything else in the recipe is naturally gluten-free, so no other changes are needed.
What to cook next
- Vegan Polenta Mushroom Bliss
- Mushroom Ale Pie Recipe
- Vegan Polish Hunter’s Stew
- Macadamia Nut Pesto Pasta