This vegan portobello mushroom parmesan recipe is a fabulous twist on vegan eggplant parmesan. It's made with portobello mushrooms, layered on a bed of tossed whole-grain spaghetti, and topped with more oil-free marinara sauce and vegan parmesan cheese. Every bite melts in your mouth.
I love mushrooms, and this vegan portobello mushroom parmesan recipe topped with vegan parmesan cheese sounded like a great dinner tonight. Portobello mushrooms, for example, make the perfect meat substitute.
Jump to:
- How to Choose Portobello Mushrooms
- How to Clean Portobello Mushrooms
- Portobello Mushroom Parmesan Ingredients
- How to Make Vegan Mushroom Parmesan
- Baking
- Air Frying
- Pasta and Sauce Recommendations
- Oil-Free Sauce Options
- Serving Suggestions
- Recipe FAQs
- Tips
- Try These Delicious Easy Vegan Meals
- 📖 Recipe
- 💬 Reviews
When I went shopping this week, I found beautiful portobello mushrooms. Instead of making Vegan Eggplant Parmesan, I decided to give mushrooms a try. And I fell in love!
How to Choose Portobello Mushrooms
- For example, pick large mushrooms similar in size when choosing portobello mushrooms. Since mushrooms shrink when cooked, they won’t cook evenly or resemble fries if you buy the smaller ones.
- Then, make sure the portobellos mushrooms are firm, with unblemished caps. The gills (the brown gills inside the mushroom cap) should be dry, which indicates freshness.
- Next, make sure the mushrooms do not have a slimy film, which means they are beginning to spoil.
- Finally, store mushrooms in the store's packaging or a paper bag to maintain freshness.
How to Clean Portobello Mushrooms
- Although some experts suggest only clean mushrooms with a clean towel and no water, I beg to differ. Because portobello mushrooms are delicate, be careful as you remove the stem.
- Using a small amount of water, wash the outside of the mushroom caps, gently washing away any dirt. Do not, for example, submerge the mushrooms to wash them.
- Instead, use the water to help remove the dirt and carefully use a paper towel or cloth towel to dry off the mushroom.
- To remove the gills, turn the cap over to the open side and carefully remove the brown gills by scraping them with a small spoon.
- Then, you can use minimal water and a paper towel to pat dry.
- Once cleaned, I cut the mushrooms, lengthwise about ¼-½ an inch wide so they are all approximately the same size. As a result, the portobello fries will cook evenly.
Portobello Mushroom Parmesan Ingredients
- Large Portobello Mushrooms: Choose similar-sized large Portobello mushrooms.
- Unsweetened, Unflavored Plant Milk: I used oat milk, but any plant-based milk works well.
- Bread Crumbs: I make bread crumbs by toasting Dave's bread and crumbling them in the food processor, or store-bought bead crumbs work too.
- Nutritional Yeast: Nutritional yeast provides the vegan cheese flavor to the mixture.
- Garlic Powder: Choose garlic powder instead of fresh garlic for a dry seasoning for the mixture.
- Garlic Salt: This adds a second layer of deep garlic taste and a little salt.
How to Make Vegan Mushroom Parmesan
- Because portobello mushrooms are delicate, be careful as you remove the stem.
- Using a small amount of water, wash the outside of the mushroom cap, gently washing away any dirt.
- Do not, for example, submerge the mushrooms to wash them.Instead, use the water to help remove the dirt and carefully use a paper towel or cloth towel to dry off the mushroom.
- Once cleaned, I cut the portobello mushrooms, lengthwise about ½ an inch wide, so they are all approximately the same size. As a result, the portobello mushroom pieces will cook evenly.
- Now, assemble 2 wide bowls (to accommodate the longest portobello fry's size/length; sizes may vary); one bowl with plant milk, and the other bowl combine the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and garlic salt.
Baking
- Lay each breaded mushroom piece on a baking sheet, separated from each other, on a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Cook at 400 for 20 minutes, flipping each fry over after cooking for 10 minutes.
- I use my Copper Chef Crisper and “air-fryer” in the oven to avoid flipping the portobello fries at the halfway point. Because the secondary pan is lifted from the pan beneath, it cooks the portobello fries on top and the bottom without flipping them over.
Air Frying
Without a doubt, I prefer air-frying over baking simply because it takes less time, but the drawback is you can only cook a single layer at a time.
Regardless, this was still easier, in my opinion. But not everyone has an air-fryer, and you wouldn’t want to miss out on trying this portobello fries recipe!
- Lay each mushroom piece in the base of the air-fry plan, separated from each other.
- Cook at 400 for 9 minutes.
- Remove and repeat this process until all the portobello fries are cooked.
Pasta and Sauce Recommendations
Since I planned to mimic my Vegan Eggplant Parmesan recipe, I chose whole-grain spaghetti for my base pasta. But, feel free to use any pasta you prefer.
Whenever I eat pasta, I always eat a small amount of pasta comparative to the number of vegetables. As a result, I'm not overly full and maximize my vegetable intake.
Also, I make my own Vegan Marinara Sauce, which is oil-free. Fortunately, there are many oil-free pasta sauces available in the grocery store.
Oil-Free Sauce Options
- DeLallo Marinara Sauce
- Muir Glen Organic Portobello Mushroom Pasta Sauce
- Ragu Light Tomato and Basic Marinara Sauce
- Pomi Tomato Sauce (add Italian seasoning and fresh garlic)
- 365 Everyday Value Marinara Sauce (Whole Foods)
- Engine 2 Pasta Sauce (Whole Foods)
- Simple Truth Organic Mushroom Pasta Sauce (Fry's/Kroger)
Serving Suggestions
- Once the pasta and sauce are ready, I like to combine the pasta sauce with the spaghetti and toss. Then, I add 4-5 pieces of cooked mushroom.
- Next, add extra sauce, sprinkle with Vegan Parmesan Cheese, and add basil and parsley as a garnish. I make this vegan parmesan cheese for many recipes, and my husband loves it.
Recipe FAQs
Mushrooms contain high amounts of selenium, vitamin D, and vitamin B6. Selenium can help prevent cell damage, vitamin D helps with cell growth, and vitamin B6 helps our bodies form red blood cells. All of these nutrients in mushrooms help to maintain a healthy immune system
Some mushrooms considered best for human health include chaga, lion's mane, reishi, turkey tail, shiitake, cordyceps, and maitake. Often considered vegetables, mushrooms are neither plants nor animals. They belong to a unique kingdom of fungi.
Mushrooms also are a natural source of fiber, which promotes gut health by feeding the "good" bacteria in the intestines. These bacteria have been found to make neurotransmitters or chemicals that send messages between nerves.
Tips
- Cut the large portobello mushrooms into equal-sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- If your hands get sticky with the bowl mixtures, could you rinse them with water and proceed with dipping.
- Choose unsweetened, unflavored plant milk.
- Instead of making homemade sauce, choose your favorite jarred marinara as a shortcut.
- Instead of the milk mixture, use an egg substitute.
- Try store-bought vegan parmesan cheese instead of homemade vegan parmesan cheese.
Try this vegan mushroom portobello parmesan recipe for a savory Italian meal the whole family will love!
Try These Delicious Easy Vegan Meals
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📖 Recipe
Vegan Mushroom Parmesan
Ingredients
Mushrooms
- 5 large portobello mushrooms washed, gills removed, and cut into equal-sized slives
- ¾ cup unsweetened unflavored oat milk or other plant-based milk
- 1 cup Italian Panko breadcrumbs gluten-free Panko, or regular bread crumbs
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
Marinara Sauce
Pasta
- 1 package whole-grain spaghetti or pasta of choice gluten-free pasta can be used as well
Garnish (optional)
- ¼ cup basil leaves
- ¼ cup parsley
- ¼ cup vegan parmesan cheese
Instructions
Dipping Bowls
- Because portobello mushrooms are delicate, be careful as you remove the stem.
- Using a small amount of water, wash the outside of the mushroom cap, gently washing away any dirt.
- Do not, for example, submerge the mushrooms to wash them.
Instead, use the water to help remove the dirt and carefully use a paper towel or cloth towel to dry off the mushroom. - Once cleaned, I cut the portobello mushrooms, lengthwise about ½ an inch wide, so they are all approximately the same size. As a result, the portobello mushroom pieces will cook evenly.
- Now, assemble 2 wide bowls (to accommodate the longest portobello fry's size/length; sizes may vary); one bowl with plant-milk and the other bowl combine the bread crumbs, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and garlic salt.
Baking
- Preheat the oven to 400.
- Dip each portobello piece into the plant milk, and then dip it in the bread crumb mixture, one at a time, until all mushrooms are covered in bread crumbs.
- Lay each fry on a baking sheet, separated from each other, on a silicone mat or parchment paper.
- Cook at 400 for 20 minutes, flipping each fry over after cooking for 10 minutes.
- To avoid having to flip the portobello pieces at the halfway point, I use my Copper Chef Crisper and air-fryer in the oven.
Air Frying
- Preheat the air fryer to 400.
- Dip each portobello stick into the plant milk mixture, and then dip it in the bread crumbs mixture, one at a time, until all the mushroom pieces are covered in bread crumbs.
- Lay each fry in the base of the air-fry plan, separated from each other.
Cook at 400 for 9 minutes - Remove each batch and repeat this process until all the portobello fries are cooked.
Pasta and Sauce
- Prepare the pasta according to the package instructions.
- Since my noodles cooked in 13 minutes, I prepared the noodles while the mushrooms cooked.
- Heat the sauce in a saucepan until heated through.
- Once the spaghetti is drained, please return it to the pan and toss in 1 ½ cups of the sauce, keeping 1 ½ cups of sauce to add to the mushrooms' top.
Plating
- In a shallow bowl or plate, add a small amount of pasta tossed in marinara sauce.
- Then, add 4-5 pieces of cooked parmesan mushrooms over the top of the pasta.
- Add some additional marinara sauce on top, and sprinkle with vegan parmesan cheese.
- Add some basil leaves and parsley.
- Then, dig in!
Notes
- Although some experts suggest only clean mushrooms with a clean towel and no water, I beg to differ. Because portobello mushrooms are delicate, be careful as you remove the stem.
- Using a small amount of water, wash the outside of the mushroom caps, gently washing away any dirt.
- Do not, for example, submerge the mushrooms to wash them.
- Patience is key when it comes to removing the gills. Turn the cap over, and carefully scrape away the brown gills with a small spoon. Then, use minimal water and a paper towel to pat dry.
Nutrition
Hi! My name is Kathy, I am a retired high school English teacher & vegan enthusiast and blogger. My entire blog is fully plant-based vegan. I truly believe what we eat & how we live determines our health & the preservation of our planet! 🙂
Kat S.
Love mushrooms and this is a lovely, yummy way to prepare and serve. Thank you!
Kathy Carmichael
Hi Kat, I'm so glad you liked the portobello mushroom parmesan. Thank you for your feedback. I appreciate you taking the time to comment and rate the recipe.