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    Home » Gluten-Free

    Creamy Zucchini Mushroom Pasta (Vegan)

    August 17, 2021 by Agnieszka 14 Comments

    85 shares
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    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Creamy Mushroom Zucchini Pasta is an easy and healthy vegan meal that is quick to make for a weeknight dinner or meal prep. The zucchini is spiralized and tossed with regular or gluten-free spaghetti in flavorful plant-based creamy sauce made with aromatic baby bella mushrooms, onions and garlic.

    a white bowl with creamy zucchini mushroom spaghetti on a round wooden board

    There is nothing more comforting than a bowl of spaghetti in my opinion. Though I absolutely love pasta and always have, I don’t eat it often, mostly because of high carb content. However, when I do have a serious pasta craving, I try to think up ways to make it lighter and nutritious. Usually this means replacing it with spaghetti squash or zucchini noodles and serving them with a classic meat sauce, shrimp or fresh tomato sauce.

    Recently, I discovered chickpea and red lentil pasta and it was love at first taste. The texture is so close to the real thing and yet these noodles are made 100% with chickpeas or red lentils. That’s a true win-win in my book! My chickpea pasta obsession started with this Creamy Veggie Chickpea Pasta Bake recipe.

    For this dish, I decided to combine chickpea spaghetti with spiralized zucchini and serve it with flavorful, cashew-based creamy sauce made with mushrooms, onions and garlic. The effect is a purely comforting pasta bowl that’s bursting with umami flavors.

    Jump to:
    • What you will need
    • How to make creamy zucchini mushroom pasta
    • Variations, substitutions and special diets
    • Storage and meal prep tips
    • Other healthy comfort food ideas
    • Recipe
    • You may also like
    • Meet the Author

    What you will need

    mushroom zucchini spaghetti ingredients laid out on a white marble surface with labels.
    • Zucchini: use medium sized firm zucchini. They will work best for spiralizing.
    • Pasta: I used chickpea spaghetti but use whatever spaghetti or linguine you like. Regular white pasta, whole wheat or brown rice pasta will all work.
    • Mushrooms: you can use baby bella mushrooms like me, or any mushrooms you like: regular button mushrooms, sliced portabella or wild mushroom blend.
    • Cashews: use raw unsalted cashews for a neutral tasting cashew cream.
    • Nutritional Yeast: to add cheesy flavor to the dish without using dairy. If you’re not familiar with nutritional yeast, see my note.
    • Onion & garlic: because every sauce needs them. Use fresh white or yellow onion and fresh garlic.
    • Fresh herbs: fresh basil, dill or parsley leaves are sprinkled on top of the dish for a nice fresh finish. 
    • Red pepper flakes: if you like a hint of spicy, finish the dish with a light sprinkle of pepper flakes.

    How to make creamy zucchini mushroom pasta

    STEP 1: Soak the cashews. Place the cashews in a small bowl or cup and cover with boiling water. Set aside for at least 15 minutes to soak, then drain.

    STEP 2: Cook the pasta. In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 -2 tablespoons of salt and cook the pasta al dente according to packaging instructions. Drain the pasta reserving some cooking liquid (a cup or so) and set aside.

    STEP 3: Spiralize the zucchini. Turn the zucchini into thin long noodles using a spiralizer (I use this one from Amazon).

    spiralized zucchini and cooking mushrooms and onions, side by side.

    STEP 4: Start the sauce. In a large skillet heat olive oil and add sliced mushrooms and chopped onion. Cook on medium heat until browned, stirring often. Add minced garlic at the end and cook together stirring until fragrant.

    STEP 5: Make cashew cream. While the mushrooms and onions are cooking, place the soaked cashews, water and garlic in a blender and add nutritional yeast. Blend until smooth.

    creamy cashew sauce in a blender, before and after blending.

    STEP 6: Make the sauce. Pour the cashew cream into the mushroom, onion and garlic mixture, stir and bring to a gentle boil. 

    cooking mushrooms in a skillet, before and after adding cashew cream.

    STEP 7: Add zucchini. Turn the heat down, add spiralized zucchini and toss together. Cook zucchini in the sauce for about 2 minutes or until the zucchini is softened but not mushy.

    spiralized zucchini cooking with creamy mushroom sauce.

    STEP 8: Add cooked pasta. Once the zucchini is softened, toss the cooked spaghetti into the sauce and stir together. If the sauce seems thick, loosen it with some liquid you reserved from cooking the pasta, though no more than ¼ cup at a time or it might turn too watery.

    creamy mushroom zucchini spaghetti in a light blue pot, two photos side by side.

    STEP 9: Serve immediately sprinkled with chopped parsley leaves and enjoy!

    Variations, substitutions and special diets

    My version of this dish is vegan and gluten-free but there are many ways you can make it your own, depending on your preferences and dietary restrictions. Here are some ideas:

    • To make this dish low-carb, skip the pasta all together and use more zucchini noodles (4 instead of 2). You can also use low-carb pasta substitute such as palm of hearts pasta.
    • For a nut-free version, replace cashew cream with half and half. Just mix it with nutritional yeast and add to mushrooms and onions.
    • If you don’t like or have nutritional yeast, you can replace it with vegan or regular grated parmesan cheese.
    • No chickpea pasta? Just use regular white pasta and it will also be delicious, though less nutrient-dense.
    • If you are a carnivore and like higher protein dishes, you can add some chopped cooked chicken breast to the sauce.

    If you are looking for more easy pasta ideas, try this Tuna Pesto Pasta, too!

    creamy mushroom zucchini pasta in a teal skillet.

    Storage and meal prep tips

    This Creamy Mushroom Zucchini Pasta will keep in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to five days. If you are meal prepping, divide the dish between a couple of smaller airtight glass containers and store in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, remove the lid and heat it up in the microwave for a minute or two. You can also transfer the pasta to a skillet and heat it up on the stove.

    mushroom zucchini pasta in a white bowl on a wooden board.

    Other healthy comfort food ideas

    Creamy Chicken and Mushroom Cauliflower Rice Casserole
    Spaghetti Squash with Bacon, Spinach and Goat Cheese Skillet
    Loaded Potato Cauliflower Soup
    Creamy Veggie Chickpea Pasta with Feta Cheese
    Mexican Inspired Quinoa Stuffed Peppers
    Vegan Egg Roll in a Bowl with Tofu

    If you try this Creamy Mushroom Zucchini Pasta and love them, or if you have any questions about this recipe please leave me a comment below!

    This post contains affiliate links.

    Recipe

    Creamy Vegan Zucchini Mushroom Pasta

    Creamy Mushroom Zucchini Pasta is an easy and healthy vegan meal that is quick to make for a weeknight dinner or meal prep. The zucchini is spiralized and tossed with regular or gluten-free spaghetti in flavorful plant-based creamy sauce made with aromatic baby bella mushrooms, onions and garlic.
    5 from 15 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: dinner, vegetarian
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: vegan zucchini mushroom pasta, zucchini mushroom pasta, zucchini pasta
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 35 minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Calories: 379kcal
    Author: Agnieszka

    Ingredients

    • 2 medium zucchini
    • 14 oz baby bella or white button mushrooms sliced
    • 2 tablespoons olive oil
    • 1 large onion chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic minced
    • 5 oz uncooked spaghetti of your choice I used chickpea spaghetti
    • ⅔ cup raw cashews
    • ⅔ cup cold water
    • 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
    • 1-2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves dill or basil (optional)
    • ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
    • salt and black pepper to taste

    Instructions

    • Place the cashews in a small bowl or cup and pour some boiling water over to cover. Set aside for at least 15 minutes to soak (preferably longer) and drain.
    • Spiralize the zucchini using your favorite spiralizer such as this one from Amazon.
    • In the meantime, bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 -2 tablespoons of salt and cook the pasta al dente according to packaging instructions. Drain the pasta reserving some cooking liquid (a cup or so) and set aside.
    • In a large skillet heat olive oil and add sliced mushrooms and chopped onion. Cook on medium heat until browned, stirring often. Add minced garlic at the end and cook together stirring until fragrant.
    • While the mushrooms and onions are cooking, place the soaked cashews in a standup blender, add nutritional yeast, garlic and ⅔ cup water. Blend until smooth.
    • Pour the cashew cream into the mushroom, onion and garlic mixture, stir and bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down, add spiralized zucchini and toss together. Cook zucchini in the sauce for about 2 minutes.
    • Once the zucchini is softened, toss the spaghetti into the sauce and stir together. Loosen the sauce with some liquid you reserved from cooking the pasta until you reach the desired consistency, though no more than ¼ cup at a time or it might turn too watery.
    • Serve immediately sprinkled with chopped herbs and red pepper flakes (if using) and enjoy!

    Notes

    Use chickpea pasta or your favorite gluten-free spaghetti for a gluten-free version.
    I like using baby bella mushrooms but white button mushrooms will work, too.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 379kcal | Carbohydrates: 44g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Sodium: 24mg | Potassium: 924mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 355IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 45mg | Iron: 3mg

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    Meet the Author

    Hi, I'm Agnieszka. I'm a mom of three and recipe developer, writer and photographer behind Wholly Tasteful. I love creating comforting, delicious, family-friendly recipes that you can feel good about.

    Learn more about me →

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Audrey

      August 23, 2021 at 6:30 pm

      5 stars
      This was so good!

      Reply
    2. Angela

      August 23, 2021 at 7:06 pm

      5 stars
      This time of year I am always looking for zucchini recipes to try. Thanks for sharing!

      Reply
    3. Melinda

      August 23, 2021 at 7:29 pm

      5 stars
      What a great meal to prepare and serve on a work night. Plus, now I can use up my abundant zucchini with a new recipe.

      Reply
    4. Oscar

      August 23, 2021 at 8:53 pm

      5 stars
      Love the zucchini and mushroom combo. Was delicious.

      Reply
    5. Michelle | Taste As You Go

      August 23, 2021 at 9:20 pm

      5 stars
      This was the perfect dish to help us use up some of our zucchini bounty! We loved the flavor!

      Reply
    6. Rob

      August 23, 2021 at 9:51 pm

      5 stars
      I'm always looking for vegan recipes. Can't wait to try this one!

      Reply
    7. Addie

      August 23, 2021 at 10:34 pm

      5 stars
      So many great flavors!

      Reply
    8. Chef Dennis

      August 23, 2021 at 11:26 pm

      5 stars
      This Creamy Mushroom Zucchini Pasta tastes perfect!

      Reply
    9. Megan Ellam

      August 24, 2021 at 2:29 am

      5 stars
      Geez this looks great. I love this using the zucchini as the noodle too!

      Reply
    10. Amy

      August 24, 2021 at 7:12 pm

      5 stars
      For a vegan dish, this sure was nice and creamy!

      Reply
    11. raju

      September 24, 2021 at 12:25 am

      5 stars
      Thanks For Sharing this amazing recipe. My family loved it. I will be sharing this recipe with my friends. Hope the will like it.

      Reply
    12. Amanda Scarlati

      October 14, 2021 at 1:50 pm

      5 stars
      Loved the flavor of this pasta, so creamy!

      Reply
    13. Sabrina

      October 14, 2021 at 2:48 pm

      5 stars
      This was great! Hearty and satisfying and was delicious on meatless Monday. Thanks, will make again

      Reply
    14. Julie Rosenthal

      October 14, 2021 at 8:50 pm

      5 stars
      This recipe has my name written all over it! Meaning I am making this!

      Reply

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    About me

    Hello and welcome to Wholly Tasteful, a healthy food and lifestyle blog! My name is Agnieszka and I am a busy mom of 3 living in and renovating a 1852 farmhouse in Maine. My recipes use ingredients that are healthy, whole and family friendly. More about me

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