Pasta with Asparagus and Creamy Mushroom Sauce

This healthy plant-based Gluten-Free Vegan Pasta with Asparagus and Creamy Mushroom sauce is an easy weekday meal that's made with clean, real food ingredients and is ready in less than 30 minutes.

This post has been updated October 1, 2016, as part of the "5 Affordable Weeknight Dinners from Whole Foods Market" campaign highlighting high-quality ingredients from my recent Whole Foods Market shopping trip. 

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This Pasta with Asparagus and Creamy Mushroom Sauce is part of the “5 Affordable Weeknight Dinners from Whole Foods Market" theme highlighting recipes made with organic, high-quality groceries using Whole Foods Market 365 Everyday Value brand ingredients and Whole Foods Market fresh, responsibly grown, local and Whole Trade produce.  Check out all the details of my shopping trip here.

If you’ve never shopped at Whole Foods Market before or purchased their 365 Everyday Value brand, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at the quality and value.  You can be assured when you buy 365 Everyday Value brand foods they will not contain high-fructose corn syrup, no hydrogenated fats, and no artificial colors, flavors, preservatives or sweeteners.

Make sure you check out the other 4 dinner recipes you can make using high-quality ingredients at great prices from Whole Foods Market:

• Vegan Spicy Chickpea and Mango Wraps
• Vegan Stuffed Pepper Soup
• Vegan Smoked Paprika and Black Bean Chili
• Blueberry and Mango Salad with Tahini Ginger Dressing

I've also prepared a chart showing how you can use re-use the ingredients from one shopping trip to make all the recipes above.

What Ingredients Do I Need To Make This Vegan Pasta with Asparagus and Creamy Mushroom Sauce Recipe?

This recipe is made with nutrient-dense, real food ingredients that you probably already have on hand.

Try to buy organic ingredients whenever possible.

Whole Foods Market has thousands of items on sale every day!  Don't forget to download the Whole Foods Market app and subscribe to the Whole Foods Market newsletter for sales and digital coupons.

While traditional creamy mushroom sauces usually contain butter, heavy cream, and cheese, this healthier version is vegan, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free, paleo-friendly (using paleo-approved pasta) and Medical Medium compliant.

• Gluten-Free Pasta
• Asparagus
• Shitake Mushrooms
• Baby Bella Mushrooms
• Avocado Oil
• Cashews
• Shallots
• Dried Rosemary
• Garlic
• Ground Black Pepper
• Himalayan Pink Salt

Make sure you visit my "5 Fast Facts of Nutrient-Dense Foods" to see the nutritional benefits of the ingredients I used in this recipe!

How To Make Vegan Pasta with Asparagus and Creamy Mushroom Sauce | Step-By-Step Instructions:

This recipe, Vegan Pasta with Asparagus and Creamy Mushroom Sauce, which is part of the "5 Affordable Weeknight Dinners from Whole Foods Market" theme, is a quick and easy plant-based meal that can be made in the length of time it takes to prepare your pasta.

Step 1: Prepare The Veggies + Pasta (+/- 10 minutes)

1. The first thing I do when making this recipe is to start boiling the pasta. It gives me at least 10 minutes to work on the veggie prep and enough time to saute' the asparagus. After deciding which variety of gluten-free pasta you'd like to use (spaghetti pasta, penne, angel hair, etc.), boil it according to the package directions. When it's finished, drain it and set aside.
2. While the pasta is boiling, you can dice the asparagus into 1 ½ inch pieces, dice the shallots and de-stem the mushrooms. When finished, set them aside.

Step 2: Prepare The Sauce (+/- 5 minutes)

1. While the pasta is boiling, add all the ingredients for the sauce to a Vitamix and blend until creamy and smooth. 
2. Adjust the seasonings to your preference.

Step 3: Prepare The Asparagus (+/- 5 minutes)

1. Add all the ingredients for the asparagus to a skillet and saute' on medium/high heat for about 4-5 minutes, or until they are soft.

Step 4: Assembly

In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked pasta, sauteed asparagus, and mushroom sauce together and gently toss until it is well combined and evenly distributed.

You may want to add everything back into the skillet to re-warm depending on long it took for your pasta to cook and if it cooled down while preparing the rest of the recipe.

That's it...dinner is ready!

Ingredient Substitutions + Tips for Vegan Pasta with Asparagus and Creamy Mushroom Sauce:

Pasta. You can substitute the spaghetti pasta with your favorite gluten-free variety like penne, shells or angel hair.

Mushrooms. Feel free to use your favorite variety or whatever type of mushrooms you have on hand.

Shallot. You can substitute with organic red onion.

Avocado Oil. You can substitute with organic extra-virgin olive oil.

Himalayan Pink Salt. This is my salt of preference, but you can always use sea salt as a substitute.

Want More Healthy Plant-Based Vegan + Gluten-Free Meal and Entrée Recipes?  

Check out these:

• Clean Eating Zucchini Boats with Creamy Garlic Sauce 
• Spaghetti Squash with Creamy Lemon Garlic Sauce 
• Creamy Vegan Vegetable Minestrone Soup
• or my CLEAN EATING Cookbook with over 100+ healthy, plant-based gluten-free + vegan recipes made with real food ingredients just like this one that you will love!

Disclosure:  This is a Sponsored Post by Whole Foods Market.  I was provided ingredients to make the recipes in this post and was compensated for my time.  Thank you for supporting the brands and companies that make this website possible!