Creamy One-Pot Pasta (Vegan + Dairy-Free)

Dinner made in a single pot? Oh yes! It's possible, it's delicious, and we're about to show you how it's done in this vegan one-pot pasta recipe. It's easy. It's creamy. It's flavorful. It's one of our most popular plant-based pasta recipes here at World of Vegan!
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A wooden spoon lifts up a scoop of vegan one-pot pasta noodles.
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Giving up dairy means saying goodbye to creamy, comforting pasta. This one-pot dairy-free pasta is proof that you can enjoy rich, velvety sauces without a drop of milk or cheese.

Love one-pot meals and easy vegan pasta recipes? Then you’ll LOVE this vegan one-pot pasta! It’s a creamy, garlicky, fresh, and delicious bowl of comfort food goodness.

As with many of our recipes here at World of Vegan, this meal is quick and easy to make, and oh-so-tasty. I couldn’t get enough of this dish, and I’m willing to bet you’ll be wanting seconds just like I did.

This pasta has fairly simple ingredients, yet packs a bounty of flavor. It has the most luscious sauce, tender mushrooms, and it’s topped with heavenly and aromatic fresh basil. Your kitchen will smell so good while this is on the stove, which makes it an extra delightful meal to share with friends or family.

If you love pasta as much as me, you’ll also love these other dairy-free pasta recipes like dairy-free carbonara, pink sauce pasta, Asian-inspired zucchini noodle bowls, dairy-free feta pasta, vegan stuffed shells, and vegan pesto pasta. For a gluten-free and whole food, plant-based option, how about this tasty spaghetti squash in the air fryer dish?

But there’s just something about a one-pot, healthy noodle pasta that can’t be beat! Let’s get started!

Why We Love This Vegan One-Pot Pasta

One pot meals are just the best for people who like low-maintenance cooking (me, me, me!). I love the idea of throwing all of your ingredients into one pot, then setting it and forgetting it. And since everything is made in a single pot, cleaning up afterward is an absolute breeze! Here are more reasons we love this pasta recipe:

  • Minimal Effort, Maximum Flavor – Just throw all your ingredients into one pot, set it, and forget it!
  • Easy Cleanup – Since everything cooks in a single pot, you’ll have fewer dishes to wash.
  • Perfect for Busy Schedules – Life gets hectic, and this recipe makes home cooking quick and stress-free.
  • Healthier Than Takeout – A wholesome, homemade meal without the need for fast food or frozen dinners.
  • Great for Meal Prep – Simple, healthy ingredients come together in a dish you’ll want to enjoy all week.
  • Satisfying & Comforting – Creamy, garlicky, and packed with flavor, this pasta is the ultimate cozy meal.

Now, what are you waiting for? Go, go, go!

vegetarian one pot pasta easy weeknight dinner on a  table with a wooden fork and garlic

What You’ll Need

  • Yellow onion & Garlic – These aromatics build the foundation of flavor for the sauce. For a milder taste, use shallots instead of onions. Love extra garlic? Feel free to add an extra clove or two!
  • Mushrooms – They add a meaty texture and umami richness to the dish. Cremini, button, or shiitake mushrooms all work well. If you’re not a fan, you can easily swap them! Scroll down to the next section for ideas.
  • Vegetable Broth – I used low-sodium vegetable broth but you can also use water with a vegetable bouillon cube.
  • Non-Dairy Milk – A creamy, unsweetened plant-based milk is key to achieving the perfect texture. Oat or soy milk work best for richness, while almond or cashew milk create a lighter sauce. Avoid coconut milk unless you want a subtle coconut flavor.
  • Dried Pasta – Long noodles like spaghetti or fettuccine work well for this creamy sauce, but you can also use penne, rotini, or gluten-free pasta. Adjust cook time accordingly.
  • Corn Starch – Mix with water, and you’ve got an easy concoction to a thick and silky texture! Arrowroot powder is a great substitute if you don’t have cornstarch.
  • Vegan Butter – Adds richness and enhances the creamy texture. If you prefer an oil-free version, omit the butter or replace it with a small amount of blended cashews.
  • Fresh Basil – Finely chopped basil brings a fresh, aromatic finish to the dish. This is a must!

Variations

If you want to play around with the flavors just a little bit, go for it! You can try adding a few spoonfuls of freshly squeezed lemon juice and just a little bit of fresh lemon zest. It will transform the dish into a completely different flavor. Lemon in pasta adds a really nice freshness and it pairs beautifully with the basil, as well as asparagus or broccoli if you decide to use one of those veggies. Follow the tips below to create your own version of this delicious dairy-free pasta recipe!

Use Whatever Veggies You Have on Hand

Mushrooms are the main vegetable in this dish as they provide a really nice texture that compliments the focus of the meal—the creamy sauce.

If you’d like to add more veggies, absolutely feel free! Some great options that would work nicely in this vegan one pot pasta dish include:

  • small pieces of asparagus
  • finely chopped broccoli
  • spinach
  • butternut squash
  • bell pepper
  • zucchini

Get Fancy with Vegan Cheese

If you want to make the dish extra fancy, you can add a little bit of vegan cheese. Pasta and cheese are obviously a match made in heaven.

You could add a soft goat-style cheese or a nice melty cheese like parmesan or mozzarella. I added a soft vegan goat-style cheese to mine which was coated with herbs de Provence. Simply. To. Die. For.

garlicky one pot pasta that tastes like a creamy plant based spaghetti with a dairy free cream sauce

Expert Tip

Don’t skip the fresh basil. Fresh basil is one of my favorite flavors. In fact, one of my favorite things in life is my summer herb garden.

I grow a ton of basil every year and a lot of it goes into pasta dishes! The smell and taste of fresh herbs compared to dried herbs is like night and day. Dried herbs definitely have their place in cooking, but a pasta dish like this works so beautifully with fresh basil.

Always add your fresh herbs near or at the very end of the cooking process so that you retain all of the flavors. If you add fresh herbs too soon, you can lose a lot of the flavor because of the heat. In this recipe, all you have to do is add the fresh basil at the very end and stir it into the hot pasta just so that it can wilt. 

Creamy Vegan One Pot Pasta With Mushrooms and Basil Served in a large bowl being held up with a fork

Step-By-Step Instructions

Here’s the simple process for making this dairy-free one-pot pasta! It’s easy and quick to make and even easier to clean up with just one pan!

Onion and garlic sauteeing in a large pan.

Step 1: Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Sauté onion and garlic for 2 minutes until fragrant.

Mushrooms added to the pan along with onions and garlic.

Step 2: Add mushrooms and continue sautéing for another 5 minutes until they start to soften.

Step 3: Pour in vegetable broth and milk, then bring the mixture to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to package instructions, typically 10-12 minutes or until pasta is tender.

Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. While pasta cooks, mix water and cornstarch in a small bowl until dissolved.

Step 4: Pour the cornstarch mixture into the pot, along with salt, pepper, and vegan butter. Cook for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens. Turn off the heat and stir in fresh basil. Serve the pasta, garnishing with additional pepper and basil leaves if desired.

The finished one-pot dairy-free pasta in a pan.

Vegan One-Pot Pasta Meal Prep

This vegan one-pot pasta is especially great for meal prep as it stores well in the fridge and can really easily be reheated. I personally love to incorporate a little bit of self-care into every day of the week (we all deserve that!). I like the idea of making a really special meal and preparing it for work. When it’s your lunch break, you’ll be so excited to heat up that delicious fancy pasta that’s been waiting for you all morning, and your co-workers will be drooling. It’s the little things in life after all!

Make It a Date Night!

Whether you’re cooking dinner for a special someone or just treating yourself to a solo night in (holler, self-love!), this is a great choice. It looks especially fancy with some finely sliced fresh basil and a few cracks of fresh ground pepper sprinkled on top.

Pair it with your favorite wine and maybe a side salad or some garlic bread and you’re set. 

Want to Make It Gluten-Free?

Go ahead and make this meal gluten-free if you’d like. You can use traditional semolina noodles, whole wheat noodles, or gluten-free noodles—it’s totally up to you.

I personally like to use brown rice noodles when I cook gluten-free pasta because I love the taste, texture, and nutrition. You could also use corn pasta, white rice pasta, and other options too.

If you want to include more gluten-free meals in your diet, experiment with a recipe like this and find your favorite option! I used spaghetti noodles but you can use any long pasta. This dish is pretty close to alfredo, and it would be really delicious with fettuccine noodles or linguine noodles. 

One Pot Pasta | World of Vegan | WorldofVegan.com #vegan #vegetarian #pasta #dinner #recipe #food

If you make this vegan one-pot pasta recipe, please leave a star rating and let me know what you think in the comments below! I love reading your comments!

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Vegan One-Pot Pasta

5 from 16 votes
Dinner made in a single pot? Oh yes! It’s possible, it’s delicious, and we’re about to show you how it’s done in this vegan one-pot pasta recipe. It’s easy. It’s creamy. It’s flavorful. It’s one of our most popular vegan pasta recipes here at World of Vegan!
A wooden spoon lifts up a scoop of vegan one-pot pasta noodles.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 2

Ingredients

  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • ¼ cup roughly chopped yellow onion
  • 4 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • cups mushrooms, diced into small chunks
  • 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
  • cups non-dairy milk, unsweetened
  • ½ pound dried pasta, 230 grams (spaghetti, fettuccine, etc.)
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • teaspoons salt
  • ½ teaspoon pepper
  • 1 tablespoon vegan butter
  • ¾ cup finely chopped fresh basil, plus more for garnish

Instructions

  • Heat a large pot with the olive oil. Add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.
  • Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.
  • Add the vegetable broth and milk then bring the mixture to a boil.
  • Add the pasta and cook according to package directions, or until the pasta is cooked and tender. This will take somewhere around 10-12 minutes but can vary depending on the type of pasta you use. Stir the pasta frequently.
  • While the pasta is cooking, add the water and cornstarch to a small bowl and stir to dissolve the cornstarch.
  • Add the cornstarch slurry, as well as the salt, pepper, and vegan butter to the pot. Cook for 2 minutes or until the sauce thickens nicely.
  • Turn the heat off and add the basil. Stir to combine. Plate the pasta and garnish with additional pepper and fresh basil if desired.

Video

Notes

Leftovers: Store leftover pasta in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. 
Reheating: The sauce may thicken as it sits, so add a splash of plant-based milk or vegetable broth when reheating to bring back its creamy texture.
Freezing: While pasta is best enjoyed fresh, you can freeze it in a freezer-safe container for up to 2 months. Note that the texture may change slightly upon thawing.
Pro Tip: If storing pasta separately from the sauce, keep them in separate containers to prevent the pasta from absorbing too much liquid and becoming mushy.

Nutrition

Calories: 645kcal | Carbohydrates: 102g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Sodium: 1892mg | Potassium: 820mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 1174IU | Vitamin C: 19mg | Calcium: 309mg | Iron: 3mg
Course — Main Course
Cuisine — Italian
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5 from 16 votes (3 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




19 comments
  1. 5 stars
    Hello,
    wanted to thank you so much for this recipe because I did it today and must say it turned out to be THE BEST PASTA EVER I had made!!! So tasty & creamy without any sour cream added (my wife dropped her jaw)…

    I will surely do it more often!!!
    Best regards,
    PauloSilva

    • Thank you so much for this kind comment, Paulo! We’re so happy that you and your wife enjoyed this pasta recipe. It’s one of our favorites, too! 🙂

  2. 5 stars
    My very picky family of adults loved this.

  3. 5 stars
    The One Pot Pasta is delicious; adding corn starch helps the creamy consistency when adding any milk or broth. Great with pickled mushrooms.

  4. Renavie Agno says:

    This vegan pasta recipe is amazing! I’m going to make it again and again!

  5. 5 stars
    I am all about one pot dinners! The less clean up, the better. This dish is so simple to make and still so delicious!

  6. 5 stars
    such a delicious dish! easy to make and hits the spot

  7. 5 stars
    Great recipe for a quick weeknight dinner. I will definitely be repeating it many times

  8. 5 stars
    this creamy pasta is the best and no upset tummy here!

  9. 5 stars
    Such an incredible vegan pasta recipe! I’ll definitely be making this recipe a bunch!

  10. 5 stars
    I’m so glad I tried this! I followed the recipe to a T and it came out fantastic.

  11. 5 stars
    This is the BEST pasta!!! I printed out the recipe and have it in my kitchen drawer, but I barely need it anymore. I’ve made it too many times to count.

  12. 5 stars
    One-pot pasta is a staple in my household, especially during quarantine!! Cannot get enough of this delicious recipe 🙂

  13. Just made this again, with farfalle, spinach and peas. Love a one pot meal that’s delicious and easy to customize with what I have on hand!!

  14. 5 stars
    I can’t believe how easy and satisfying this recipe is! It’s super creamy and everyone in the family loves it! It’s fantastic having a meal that I can make so quickly with such little clean up – yes! Already on our weekly meal rotation, too!

  15. 5 stars
    One of my favorite recipes…I used to make this with my birth father all the time!! I leave out the mushrooms and it’s still absolutely deeeelish.

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