Creamy Vegan Mushroom Pasta with Spinach (Gluten Free)

This super simple and creamy vegan mushroom pasta with spinach is the perfect healthy pasta dinner recipe to have on rotation during the week. It’s made in just 30 minutes, packs in a lot of flavor and nutrients, and is naturally dairy free, gluten free, and nut free. Perfect for picky eaters!

Why you’ll love this family favorite healthy pasta recipe

A solid vegan pasta recipe is always a good idea to have on hand throughout the week for a quick and easy healthy meal. This vegan mushroom pasta with spinach is about to be your new favorite.

Not only is this creamy mushroom pasta super flavorful – it’s full of lively and zesty lemon, fragrant pine nuts, and aromatic garlic – but it’s also naturally on the healthier side and well rounded with plant protein from the white beans (actually, per serving, there’s over 25 grams of protein!).

Both kids and adults just love this pasta dish. It’s creamy, cheesy, and feels like you’re eating a fancy Italian pasta out while sitting at your own dinner table (making it a great Valentine’s Day dinner recipe too 😉 ).

Plus, you can easily make this mushroom spinach pasta gluten-free and nut-free (but more on that in the sections below!).

Mushroom pasta ingredients

For this vegan mushroom pasta, you’ll only need a few simple plant-based ingredients. What I love about these ingredients is that there’s an emphasis on simple. I don’t want you to feel overwhelmed, like you have to go to special stores in order to get all of your ingredients. This is a one-stop-shop pasta that can actually be pretty budget friendly as well.

Ingredients:

• Pasta: you have a few options here. You can use orecchiette pasta, like I did (a little Italian lesson: orecchiette translates to little ears!). Or you can use a plant-based vegan tortellini, gnocchi, or even spaghetti. You can also keep this vegan mushroom pasta gluten-free by using your favorite gluten free pasta. Add even more protein by using a bean-based pasta too!
• Spinach
• Mushrooms: I used shiitake mushrooms, but you can use button mushrooms, mini Bella mushrooms, Crimino etc.
• Lemon
• Garlic
• White beans: you can also swap in your favorite bean here.
• Pine nuts: omit if nut-free!
• Dairy-free milk: you can use any dairy-free milk here, so long as it’s unsweetened and original/plain. Otherwise, your pasta will taste sweet- ick!
• Vegan mozzarella: I recommend shredded. You can also use vegan parmesan in lieu of mozzarella. My favorite brand is Forager Project, but Violife is also great for nut-free!

How to make easy & creamy vegan mushroom pasta with spinach (overview)

For the full written instructions and ingredient measurements, see the bottom of this post in the recipe card. You can also hit the “jump to recipe” button at the top of this post! Here, we’ll go over a brief overview of the steps, along with providing visuals for a better understanding of the recipe.

You’ll need just 5 minutes to prep all of the ingredients (it’s super simple!), and then the rest of the recipe comes together in just 30 minutes (including the boiling of the pasta!).

I think you’ll love how even the creamy dairy-free sauce to this mushroom pasta is easy- you don’t even have to make it in a separate bowl. Just one pot!

Step 1: Cook the pasta

I recommend cooking the pasta to al dente. This means there’s an ever-so-slight chewiness to the pasta, and it’s not mush. This will be important when you’re cooking the pasta in the next steps.

Step 2: Sauté the spinach & mushrooms

Heat a large saucepan (enough to fit the pasta as well!) with cooking oil and cook the garlic. Then add in the spinach and mushrooms with a bit of sea salt, and sauté until cooked.

Step 3: Add in the remaining ingredients

This is the lemon juice, pine nuts, pasta, and white beans. Sauté again just until everything is tossed together and warmed.

Step 4: Finish with the creamy cheese vegan sauce:

Once everything is tossed together, stir in the dairy free milk and vegan cheese. Continue cooking everything on low until the vegan cheese has melted (should be about 2-3 minutes). Once melted, serve the vegan mushroom pasta immediately. Garnish with pine nuts and parsley, along with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Customize this vegan pasta recipe as your own:

What I also love about this easy mushroom pasta is that it’s so easily customizable. For a bit of a twist throughout the weeks, try the following:

• Swap in a new pasta shape. This could be spaghetti, penne, tortellini, gnocchi, etc.
• Make it gluten-free as needed. As mentioned above, the only ingredient you need to be cautious of if you’re gluten free is the actual pasta. Use your favorite gluten free pasta (I recommend anything by Jovial!).
• Use kale instead of spinach: for a twist on mushroom pasta with spinach and for the cooler months, try kale or even rainbow Swiss chard!
• Try lime juice instead of lemon: for the summer months, this zesty pasta becomes even more flavorful with lime instead of lemon.
• Swap in vegan parmesan instead of mozzarella: either or works here! For the best vegan cheese brand, I recommend Violife hands down.

How to store vegan mushroom pasta:

If you’re not making this vegan mushroom pasta for a family of five, you can simply store the leftovers in an airtight container and in the fridge to have throughout the week. The pasta will be good for about 4 days after cooking when stored properly. Which also makes it a great dish to have as a meal prep dinner during the work week!

You will just absolutely love this easy and creamy vegan pasta dish. It’s a crowd favorite, and my family asks for it ever since I first tested it! The pine nuts are definitely a wonderful addition, not necessary, but makes dining in feel a bit more special 🙂

Be sure to check out a few of our other family favorite vegan dinners linked in the next section, and happy cooking!

More family favorite vegan dinner recipes you’ll love:

Easy Vegan Lentil “Meatballs”

BEST Vegan Lentil Loaf

Easy Vegan Sweet Potato Gnocchi

Healthy Acorn Stuffed Squash

Easy Vegan Pasta Salad

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If you make this recipe, please be sure to leave a comment and a rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ below. This helps others to find the recipes! As always, I absolutely love to see your beautiful creations on Instagram and Pinterest, so be sure to tag me there as well!

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