Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni with Caramelized Onions (Vegan)

5 from 4 votes

Creamy Mushroom Rigatoni with Caramelized Onions (Vegan)

This creamy mushroom rigatoni is a mouthwatering pasta dish with a vegan cream sauce, savory mushrooms, sweet caramelized onions, and fragrant sage.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American

Diet: Vegan

Servings:

Calories: 524kcal

Author: Allie Petersen

Ingredients

Caramelized Onions & Mushrooms

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions sliced
¼-1/2 cup water for deglazing the pan
8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms
10 oz rigatoni pasta
Other optional additions: spinach, artichokes, sun-dried tomatoes, white beans, vegan chicken* See note

Cream Sauce

3 tbsp olive oil
3 tablespoon all purpose flour
2 cups WARM non-dairy milk, unsweetened* I used soy milk
¼ cup vegan parmesan shreds
2 cloves garlic minced
½ teaspoon salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves stems removed
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toppings

vegan parmesan
more fresh thyme leaves

Instructions

Caramelized Onions

Start by making your caramelized onions (this is the longest step). In a large saucepan, add in your olive oil and warm over MED-HIGH heat.
Once warm, add in your onion. Add a pinch of salt and pepper if desired. Stir your onion every few minutes. If the onions starts to get dried out, add in 2-3 tablespoon of water to steam. You will likely have to do this a few times throughout the cooking process. The onions will start to soften and brown which takes about 15 minutes.
1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 medium onions
When the onions are nearly fully cooked, push them to one side of the pan. Add in your sliced mushrooms and cook for 5-7 minutes (or until their juices are released and they're slightly browned).
8 oz sliced baby bella mushrooms

Pasta

While the onions are cooking, begin boiling your pasta water. Add in a dash of salt. Cook to package instructions. Once cooked, rinse under cool water and set aside
10 oz rigatoni pasta

Cream Sauce

To make your delicious cream sauce, begin heating your olive oil in a large saucepan over MEDIUM heat. Add your flour and stir until combined. Stir in a figure eight for even cooking.
3 tablespoon olive oil
Let the flour/oil mixture cook for 3-5 minutes. It should start to bubble and puff slightly. The sauce will also turn slightly white.
3 tablespoon all purpose flour
SLOWLY add in your warm milk, whisking at the same time as you add it. If you have a few flour clumps, don't worry, they will likely dissolve as you whisk continuously.
2 cups WARM non-dairy milk, unsweetened*
Stir in your parmesan cheese, garlic cloves, salt, and pepper. Cook this sauce over LOW-MED heat for 8-10 minutes, stirring every 30 seconds, until it starts to thicken to your liking.
2 cloves garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Assemble your pasta dish

Add the pasta, mushrooms, and caramelized onions to the sauce and stir until combined.
Top with vegan parm, fresh ground pepper, and chopped parsley if desired. Enjoy!

Notes

⭐️This pasta dish is very versatile. You can add in other veggies like spinach, artichokes, zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes and more. Also add some protein with some white beans, garbanzo beans, vegan chicken, and more!

Sauce clumping? Follow these tips to make the best roux!

Gradually whisk flour into melted fat over medium heat to ensure a smooth paste without lumps.
Cook the roux until it reaches a light golden color to eliminate the raw taste of the flour. It should smell a little nutty with some bubbles. You may notice it puffing up slightly.
Whisk continuously when adding liquid to prevent lumps from forming in the sauce.
Still have clumps? You can strain the sauce to get rid of any clumps before you add the garlic, parm, etc.

Nutrition