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Vegan Scallop Pasta

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vegan scallop pasta

Super simple vegan scallop pasta made from king oyster mushrooms. Dressed in a glossy white wine sauce with spinach and capers. Perfect for a light summer meal!


Oh boyyyyyy have I got a quick-fire treat for you called vegan scallop pasta! Nope, no real scallops harmed in the making of this pasta, just king oyster mushrooms which have been SEARED TO PERFECTION!

Oh and did I mention everything is brought together in a glossy, white wine, spinach and caper sauce?? WELL I DID NOW! This one is gonna blow your mind, not only because it's so tasty but because it's so quick, easy and versatile! It's one of my fave pastas to make in summer, because it's light, citrusy and feels like you're sat at a taverna somewhere in a vegan alternate universe version of Greece. 

vegan scallop pasta with spinach and capers

What the Hell is Vegan Scallop Pasta??

This is one of those recipes I thought I'd never be able to eat as a vegan, because, let's be honest, vegan scallops aren't something you find in the supermarket right? That was until I saw the inimitable Derek Sarno from Wicked Healthy frying up sliced king oyster mushrooms like they were ACTUAL CERTIFIED SCALLOPS!

If you've tried this cooking method, you have Derek to thank. If you haven't tried it, then hold onto your knickers Sister Mary Clarence because things are about to get delicious! The bounce you get from pan-seared oyster mushrooms is an almost identical texture to scallops and they work SO DAMN WELL in herby, zesty pasta dishes.

vegan scallop pasta

Vegan Scallop Pasta in FOUR Steps??

Would I lie to you?? well, yes. I probably would. BUT NOT ABOUT THIS! When I'm talking about pasta, I'm ALWAYS truthin. See how easy this pasta recipe is. As always, full recipe is at the bottom of this page, but here's a visual breakdown of the four main steps:

1. Sear the Vegan Scallops

To start with, we want to get some colour on those vegan scallops. All you need is a ripping hot pan and some olive oil. Slice of the tops and bottoms from the king oyster mushrooms, (reserve those bits for another recipe) and whack them cut-side down in the hot pan. 

Sear for a few mins on each side then remove from the pan and set aside. We'll be using these later. 

  • slicing king oyster mushrooms
  • seared vegan scallops

2. Start Your Sauce

Now we want to get cracking on our sauce. It couldn't be easier, just heat the frying pan back up which you just used for your vegan scallops and add a little more oil. Fry up some shallots and garlic then throw in your capers and some nice dry white wine. 

You want to simmer this for a while so the wine can reduce, but don't let your pan dry out. Just keep the heat low. 

shallots in frying pan

3. Boil your Pasta

Probably the most important step in this vegan scallop pasta recipe is making the damn pasta! You can really use any shape or kind of pasta, but I love orecchiette. It works particularly well in this recipe because those little pasta belly-buttons kind of SUCKER onto the vegan scallops.

Just be sure to salt your pasta water well and DON'T THROW IT AWAY when the pasta is cooked - it's an essential part of the sauce recipe. 

pasta

4. Finish That Sauce

Your pasta's cooked! Now you've just gotta finish that sauce. The wine should be nicely reduced now so it's time to add our final ingredients. Toss some pasta water into the frying pan to deglaze the pan, and follow with the seared vegan scallops, spinach, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, dill and some salt and pepper. 

We're going to let this simmer down again for a while until the sauce is beautifully glossy, then TOSS EVERYTHING TOGETHER!

  • spinach in pasta sauce
  • vegan scallop pasta

It's that easy! That gorgeous glossy sauce is going to stick to all that pasta like an ELEGANT BALL GOWN and you're going to SCREAM with joy when you first bite into one of the vegan scallops. Well, maybe not SCREAM but perhaps sighhhh.

If you'd like to make the sauce a little creamier and perhaps a little higher in protein, consider adding some cannellini beans along with the spinach. 

vegan scallop pasta

Need more PASTA??

Then you came to the right place! Why not give these bad boys a try!?

  • Vegan Ricotta Stuffed Pasta Shells with Chive Pesto
  • Chorizo Spiced Rigatoni Bake
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vegan scallop pasta

Vegan Scallop Pasta

Richard Makin
Super simple vegan scallop pasta made from king oyster mushrooms. Dressed in a glossy white wine sauce with spinach and capers. Perfect for a light summer meal!
4.92 from 25 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 40 mins
Total Time 40 mins
Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Servings 2
Calories 297 kcal
Ingredients
  
  • 4 king oyster mushrooms
  • 2 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 shallot ((finely chopped))
  • 2 cloves garlic ((minced))
  • 2 tablespoon capers
  • 200 ml white wine ((use a dry variety - and make sure it's vegan))
  • 250 g pasta ((I used orecchiette, make sure you use a vegan variety))
  • 70 g baby spinach
  • 2 tablespoon nutritional yeast
  • ½ lemon
  • small bunch fresh dill ((roughly torn))
  • pinch flaky sea salt
  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
Instructions
 
  • Slice the flat top off of each king oyster mushroom along with the very bottom ½cm of the stem (keep the mushroom offcuts for use in another recipe). Slice the stem into scallop shaped discs, keeping in mind that these will shrink slightly when cooked.
  • Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Add the mushroom "scallops" and sear each side until nicely browned before flipping. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
  • In the same frying pan over a medium heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil and bring to temperature. Add the shallot and fry for a minute or two, until turning translucent.
  • Add the minced garlic and fry for a further minute or two, stirring often. Follow with the capers and the white wine, being careful as the pan may spit when the wine is added. Stir well and reduce the heat to low and leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to the boil and add a good few pinches of salt. Once boiling, add the pasta. Boil until al dente, stirring often.
  • Once the white wine sauce has reduced nicely, use a ladle to remove around 150-170ml boiling pasta water from the saucepan. Add it to the frying pan and bring to a simmer. Add the seared mushroom "scallops" along with the spinach, nutritional yeast, juice from the ½ lemon, dill, salt and pepper. Stir carefully and try not to break up the "scallops". Allow to simmer for a further 5-10 minutes or until the sauce is reduced and glossy.
  • If the sauce reduces too much, add another splash of pasta water. Once the pasta is cooked, drain and add it to the frying pan. Remove from the heat and stir everything together to coat.
  • Serve immediately with some more black pepper and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.

Nutrition

Serving: 1gramsCalories: 297kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 8gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 2gSodium: 929mgFiber: 6gSugar: 8g
Keyword king oyster mushrooms, vegan pasta, vegan scallop pasta
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    Recipe Rating




  1. Dee

    August 24, 2020 at 5:07 am

    Can’t wait to try.

    Reply
  2. Shannon

    December 12, 2020 at 6:15 pm

    I couldn’t find king oyster mushrooms but instead found king trumpet mushrooms with very similar stems. Have you tried this replacement before? Do you think it will work?

    Reply
  3. :)))))

    February 05, 2021 at 6:11 pm

    5 stars
    honestly one of my favourite pastas i’ve never made/had!!! amazing flavours

    Reply
  4. :)))))

    February 05, 2021 at 6:11 pm

    5 stars
    honestly one of my favourite pastas i’ve never made/had!!! amazing flavours

    Reply
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    February 06, 2021 at 4:45 pm

    5 stars
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    Reply
  6. Martin

    April 29, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    4 stars
    I made the pasta and I substituted the dry white wine for white wine vinegar because I cannot have alcohol and the vinegar had such an overbearing taste to the pasta, which sucked because everything was cooked right. Richard, I was wondering what would be a good substitute for white wine, I was thinking of apple cider and lemon. Also, what could you add to the pasta to make it more flavourful?

    Reply
    • Mallory

      October 08, 2021 at 1:36 am

      5 stars
      You gave 4 stars because you weren’t able to follow the recipe and messed it up adding something that didn’t substitute well? 🙄 I would of substituted with vegetable stock.

      Anyways, the recipe was delicious!

      Reply
  7. Martin

    April 29, 2021 at 4:16 pm

    4 stars
    I made the pasta and I substituted the dry white wine for white wine vinegar because I cannot have alcohol and the vinegar had such an overbearing taste to the pasta, which sucked because everything was cooked right. Richard, I was wondering what would be a good substitute for white wine, I was thinking of apple cider and lemon. Also, what could you add to the pasta to make it more flavourful?

    Reply
  8. Avery

    August 28, 2021 at 11:36 pm

    5 stars
    Holy smokes, this recipe is SO FANTASTIC! We are not huge dill fans, so we substituted parsley, but otherwise left everything the same. Well done, Richard! We will absolutely be making this one again - thank you

    Reply
  9. Avery

    August 28, 2021 at 11:36 pm

    5 stars
    Holy smokes, this recipe is SO FANTASTIC! We are not huge dill fans, so we substituted parsley, but otherwise left everything the same. Well done, Richard! We will absolutely be making this one again - thank you

    Reply
  10. Alexis

    August 31, 2021 at 11:11 pm

    5 stars
    This dish is soooo good! The flavors are punchy but balanced. I added some old bay to the "scallops" because I'm from Maryland and it came out fantastic.

    Reply
  11. Alexis

    August 31, 2021 at 11:11 pm

    5 stars
    This dish is soooo good! The flavors are punchy but balanced. I added some old bay to the "scallops" because I'm from Maryland and it came out fantastic.

    Reply
  12. Mallory

    October 08, 2021 at 1:36 am

    5 stars
    You gave 4 stars because you weren’t able to follow the recipe and messed it up adding something that didn’t substitute well? 🙄 I would of substituted with vegetable stock.

    Anyways, the recipe was delicious!

    Reply
  13. Jess

    August 27, 2022 at 3:42 pm

    5 stars
    We make this regularly now it's simple and delicious.

    Reply

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Richard Makin is the School Night Vegan.

Richard has been exploring the world of plant-based cuisine since November 2017 when he switched from life-long vegetarian to full-time vegan!

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