I know I probably say this a lot. However, this vegan creamy miso pasta with caramelized mushrooms is one of the greatest meals I’ve ever had. I’m not even sure there are words to describe it, but I’m gonna try! The miso is umami, salty but well balanced. The cashew cream is the perfect thing to go with the miso. Creamy and nutty. The mushrooms are sweet and crispy. All of the this combined creates a very unique and truly amazing pasta dish!
Of course this pasta is super simple, just like I like them. With very few ingredients, you will honestly be shocked by how flavorful it is. And, even though it seems very indulgent, since it is so creamy, it is really only cashews, plant milk and miso that is creating the perfect sauce. Another great component is the use of pasta water to thin it out. Adding flavor but no calories which is pretty darn cool!
There are different types of miso paste, and for this recipe I recommend a mild white miso. However, if you love yellow or red and have it on hand, go for it! I love having a container of miso paste around to use for all kinds of things. Soup, stir fry, veggies. My daughter is a huge fan of miso soup, and I can whip some homemade miso soup up in no time.
Now, let’s talk about these caramelized mushrooms! If you have never thought about it before, now is the time to give it a try. Brown the mushrooms just like you would with onions. Then add brown sugar, maple syrup or agave and continue to brown. The mushrooms get crispy, sweet and salty. I seriously can’t think of anything that would go better with this vegan creamy miso pasta.
Vegan Creamy Miso Pasta with Caramelized Mushrooms
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Raw cashews, soaked*
- 8 Ounces Linguine or other long pasta
- 2 Tablespoons Vegan butter, I used Earth Balance
- 16 Ounces Baby bella mushrooms, sliced
- 2 teaspoons Brown sugar or maple syrup
- 1/2 Cup Non-dairy milk, unsweetened I used soy milk
- 2 Tablespoons Olive oil
- 6 Cloves Garlic, chopped
- 2 teaspoons White miso paste
- 1/4-1/2 Cup Reserved pasta water
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- You want to soak your cashews first, either in a bowl covered with room temperature water for 6-8 hours or overnight. Or for a faster option, cover the cashews in boiling water and soak for about an hour. Or boil the cashews for about 15-30 minutes. They will be nice and soft when ready.
- When the cashews are ready, drain them and set aside.
- Now, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain when finished, making sure to save at least 1/2 a cup of the pasta water before you drain it.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the mushrooms. Melt the vegan butter on medium high in a large cast iron or non stick skillet. Add the mushrooms.
- Sauté the mushrooms, reducing heat as needed until they are nice and brown. This will take about 10 minutes. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then add the brown sugar or maple syrup. Toss to coat the mushrooms. Then sauté for another 2-3 minutes or until the mushrooms are caramelized in the sugar. Remove the mushrooms from the skillet and place in a bowl. Set aside.
- While the mushrooms are sautéing, make a cashew cream sauce. Add the soaked, drained cashews to a blender, then add the non-dairy milk and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend on high until completely smooth. This may take a few minutes. Set aside.
- Once you have removed the mushrooms from the skillet, heat the olive oil in the same skillet on medium high. Then add the garlic.
- Sauté the garlic, reducing heat as needed for 1-2 minutes. Then add the miso paste, and stir it into the garlic and oil. Let it smooth out and melt a bit into the skillet.
- Then add the cashew cream you made, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine the cream, garlic and miso.
- Next, add the cooked pasta to the skillet and toss to coat the pasta in the miso cream sauce. It will be really thick at this point. So now, you want to take your reserved pasta water and pour in little at a time over the pasta and toss to combine until the sauce is the thickness you want.
- Taste and adjust seasoning, then serve with the caramelized mushrooms on top!
Notes
Nutrition
I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out delicious! The mushrooms with the miso pasta was the perfect flavoring. I will be making this again… and again… and again! Thank you so much for sharing this!
I didn’t follow the recipe and it still turned out beautifully! Skipped the cashew soak and chopped them up raw, and didn’t add any water. It was still pure magic – will make again!
I saw this recipe posted right before my grocery trip today so I added mushrooms to my list and made it tonight. It was freaking AMAZING. I’m not a big mushroom fan but caramelizing them is a game changer. Also definitely going to be adding miso to my creamy sauces from now on. Highly recommend this recipe.
SO GOOD. Made this with shiitake mushrooms and a roasted parsnip + sage fettuccine.
Good idea on the parsnips! I knew I wanted to add something extra and they turned out great in this dish.
Hella good! My mushrooms didn’t turn out quite as gorgeous (because i used a stainless steel pan?), but the flavor was divine. I topped with vegan parm.
This was delicious! I’ve never caramelized mushrooms before – brilliant idea!!! I increased the miso but quite a bit for a stronger miso flavor! I was out of Linguine so I used Angel hair. Definitely a repeat!!!
I made this recipe tonight after seeing it on your Instagram. It’s amazing!! One of my new favourites for sure.
I’d love to make this recipe, it looks so good!! I’m allergic to cashews so if anyone has any recommendations for how much tofu I should use or any other good substitutions, let me know 🙂
I was thinking of trying hulled hemp seeds.
Raw sunflower seeds soaked overnight or boiled for 15 minutes. Drain. Rinse and blend with liquid.. Super creamy, yummy and budget friendly!
I’ve never seen firm tofu as a cashew substitute in a sauce, only silken. Is the amount the same volume as the cashews? Also, I just had to tell you how much I appreciate suggestions to replace cashews for those of us unlucky enough to be allergic. THANK YOU!
Did you try this with the tofu?
How did it go?
I can’t eat dairy, and have missed creamy pasta recipes. A lot of the ones I’ve tried end up chalky or with a weird synthetic flavor. This is amazing. So creamy, the flavors are balanced! Very easy to make. This is my new go to recipe.
This was seriously good, especially for such a simple recipe. My only recommendation is to double it 🙂
Absolutely delish!!! Easy to make and the flavour was bang on! Best cream sauce I have made.
First recipe I’ve tried by you, and it did not disappoint! This dish was so creamy and delicious, and the added caramelized mushrooms gave it that perfect sweet, but not too sweet bite. Even the non vegans in my house loved it! Well definitely be making this again
Thank you, Stacia!
Absolutely delicious I didn’t use any soy products and this pasta still came out amazing. I will definitely be making again!
I made this recipe, it’s delicious!!
Wow this recipe is amazing. Where I live I couldn’t find miso paste anywhere so I sub for soy sauce and umami seasoning and still came out fantastic.
This was the best vegan pasta dish I have ever made! Miso and cashew are an unexpectedly delicious flavor combination and I definitely will be making this again. Even the non-plant based eaters took a second helping.
This is fantastic. I added quite a bit extra miso paste–it has such a tangy and delicious flavour.
Roasted parsnips are a great addition to this dish. Thx to the commenter that mentioned it before me! I cubed them and tossed in oil, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and salt.
THIS WAS AMAAAAAAZING!!! SOOOOO good, thank you!
I made as directed but I simplified the steps by adding the garlic and the miso right into the pan with the caramelized mushrooms, cooked for a couple more minutes and then added the cashew sauce (made with Chobani extra creamy oat milk).. At the end, right before serving, I also added some chopped fresh baby spinach (because I had it). I loved the pop of green and the fresh flavor.
And, oh… I had just cooked up a batch of Beyond sausages for another recipe so I just used that pan of drippings to start this recipe (instead of olive oil). That added a nice extra depth of “meaty” flavor that my husband especially loved.
Definitely a winner, and a repeater. I will be making this again (and again!)
This was AWESOME! Before I took my first bite I texted my roommate to come down and get a plate. By the time she came down I had changed my mind and decided I was not sharing. Can’t wait for the leftovers!
I followed the recipe almost exactly except I used water instead of soy milk and added about a tablespoon of nutritional yeast. Don’t think the plant milk is necessary at all as the cashews themselves are so creamy when blended. Turned out amazing!! The whole family loved it. Can’t wait to make it again!
Had trouble getting the miso to smooth out…but it was heavenly
Me too!!! It just clumped together and I was thinking it’s maybe because my heat was too high.
Made it fir our dinner tonight. Simply amazing. Will become a regular dish for us. Thank you for so many amazing recipes.
This is literally so good. I went back for seconds! Great recipe. Super lush!
This recipe was really good, but for me the miso was severly understated even though I over doubled the amount. Some of my family said it tasted a bit “cardboardy” but maybe I just didn’t make it right. Next time for sure I’ll be adding a boat load of miso or use a way stronger paste! Regardless this recipe makes for a solid base for future pasta dishes.
If you are allergic to nuts use raw hulled sunflower seeds instead of cashews. Soak before in water overnight or boil for 15 minutes.. Drain, Blend. Creamy, delish! Budget friendly and very creamy..
This was so good. Restaurant quality good. I will definitely be making this again!
I have made this dish several times and it is always outstanding. Tonight I changed it up a little and added some chopped kale to the mushrooms. Great way to get some greens in. The dish came out superb!
One of the best pasta dishes I have made and very straightforward! Will be making it again very soon
I really like the creamy sauce for the pasta. I was hesitant about adding brown sugar to the mushrooms and I should’ve listened. Even though I measured it out, it still tasted so sweet. Next time I will just not add any sugar to the mushrooms and it will be to my liking 🙂
I made this for the first time following the recipe exactly as written, and it was delicious! The cashew cream sauce gives this pasta the “lip smacking”, wonderfully rich texture that most vegan pastas lack—making this a filling and comforting meal. The caramelized mushrooms had a slight sweetness to them that paired nicely with the sauce. This was the first recipe from this site that I have made, and I am so pleasantly surprised!
Made this tonight and love it! I didn’t have miso so I subbed for umami seasoning and will be adding in a bit of soy as someone else had done. I love a little kick so I also added some red pepper flakes and it’s delicious! Definitely plan to make this regularly (with miso next time)! I also wanted to try it with carmelized onions with the mushrooms. Great recipe!
So insanely good! recipe was easy to
Follow and bursting with flavors. My only complaint is I ate too much and now have a stomachache lol
I absolutely love this dish! I have made it 3 times in the last month. I have changed it up a bit each time depending on what we have veggie wise. It’s great with broccoli, but my favorite is thinly sliced spinach. I also add a decent spoonful of chili crunch when mixing the miso in for some extra heat.
This was really good! I had fettuccine pasta and it was perfect. I used a mix of portobello, crimini and shitake mushrooms. Very creamy, lots of umami. When making the cashew cream I added some Trader Joes Mushroom Seasoning to it for just a little more yum! I used no additional salt, as we are a low salt household, but the miso is salty enough that it didn’t need it. Husband liked it too.