We're giving this Italian-American dish a plant-based twist with this delicious vegan marsala pasta. Pan-seared mushrooms in a creamy marsala sauce bring this dish to life with so much flavor! It's easy to make whether you're serving it for a weeknight meal or for a special occasion. All can be done in less than 45 minutes! Without a doubt, you’ll love this vegan twist to the Italian-American favorite.
Boy, let me tell you, it was one of the most delicious dishes he has ever made. Before that, I'd never had marsala pasta before, and it instantly became a favorite of mine. Now, we have it probably once every 2 weeks! (We had to reduce the amount we made it because it ended up being what we ate all the time.) If you like pasta as much as I do, then you’ll most certainly love this recipe!
Ingredient Notes
- Pasta - You can use any noodles you prefer, for this vegan marsala pasta, but I typically go for fettuccine!
- Mushrooms - Baby bella mushrooms, also known as "cremini", are my favorite mushrooms to add to this dish. Feel free to use regular white mushrooms if that's what you can find.
- Aromatics - Shallots and garlic is a must! It adds plenty of flavor to the base of the sauce.
- Dairy-free heavy cream - Adding a splash of heavy cream gives this dish a rich and creamy texture.
- Vegetable broth - The vegetable broth adds so much flavor to the sauce.
- Marsala cooking wine - The star ingredient in any marsala pasta! It's a fortified Italian wine produced in the city of Marsala in Sicily. It has a beautifully sweet-savory flavor that brings this recipe to life.
How to Make Vegan Marsala Pasta
Step 1: Cook the pasta according to the package instructions. In a large saute pan, heat up the olive oil over medium heat and saute the garlic and shallots unto soft and translucent.
Step 2: Next, add in the baby Bella mushrooms and season it with salt and pepper. Cook until lightly browned. Then add in the flour and continue to cook until the flour is lightly toasted.
Step 3: Pour the marsala cooking wine and vegetable broth to the pan and bring it up to a boil then reduce to a simmer.
Step 4: Continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened then add in the dairy-free heavy cream.
Step 5: Add in the cooked pasta.
Step 6: Combine it all together and serve!
What is Marsala Pasta?
So, this classic Italian-American dish is obviously not vegan. However, it can easily be made vegetarian if you remove the chicken. Now, marsala pasta wouldn't get its name without the use of marsala wine. But what is marsala? If you're not familiar, it is a fortified wine made in Sicily and is typically used in cooking. It gives the dish a rich, nutty, and slightly caramelized flavor. It's usually served with sauteed mushrooms and pan-fried chicken and can be eaten over pasta, polenta, or mashed potatoes. But, I personally prefer pasta, hence this recipe!
If you enjoyed this recipe, you might want to check these out:
If you tried this recipe let me know in the comments below! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @flouredframe for more delicious recipes. While you’re at it, don’t forget to tag me whenever you recreate my recipes! Happy cooking!
📖 Recipe
Vegan Marsala Pasta
Equipment
- Sharp knife
- Cutting board
- Large saute pan
- Large pot
- 4 Serving plates
Ingredients
- ½ box Fettuccine pasta
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil (divided)
- 4 Garlic cloves (minced)
- 1 Small shallot (finely diced)
- 8 oz Baby Bella mushrooms (thinly sliced)
- 1 teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
- 1 tablespoon All-purpose flour
- ¾ cup Marsala cooking wine
- ½ cup Vegetable broth
- ¼ cup Dairy-free heavy cream (I used Silk, see notes for substitutions)
- Fresh parsley (for garnish)
Instructions
- First, fill up a large pot with water and add a good pinch of salt. Once the water is boiling, add your pasta. Cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.
- In a large high-sided pan, heat up the olive oil over medium-high heat. When your oil is ready, saute the garlic and shallot until soft and slightly translucent.
- Next, add in the baby Bella mushrooms and season it with salt and pepper. Stirring occasionally, and continue to cook until the mushrooms are lightly browned.
- Add in the flour, and continue to stir until the flour is slightly toasted. About 1 minute. Then pour in the marsala wine and vegetable broth and stir to release the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
- Reduce the heat to low, and continue to simmer until the sauce has slightly thickened. About 8-10 minutes. Lastly, stir in the cream. When your pasta is drained and ready, add it to the sauce and mix it in.
- Remove from heat. Divide the pasta among four plates. Sprinkle with fresh parsley and serve!
Notes
- Substitutions for dairy-free heavy cream for this recipe only:
- Plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk, preferably cashew milk. I’ve also used soy milk in this recipe and it works fine.
- You are looking for milk that is pretty high in fat to mimic the creaminess of the heavy cream.
- Do not use coconut milk for this recipe, because coconut milk already has a lot of natural flavors, which will alter the flavors too much.
- Also, do not use dairy-free coffee creamer, as it’s sweetened. Trust me on this, sweet marsala sauce isn’t the way to go. (My husband tried this one time, and it did not go well, as you can imagine haha!)
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