A Cozy, Comforting Mushroom Stroganoff That Rivals the Classic

We've teamed up with Planet Oat to share the many delicious ways you can enjoy their Oatmilk at home—from frothing up your morning cappuccino to using at as the base for creamy pastas, like this hearty mushroom stroganoff.

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A bowl of creamy pasta is as good as comfort food gets. You could go many routes to make it, from a classic fettuccine Alfredo to mac and cheese, but a favorite of mine has always been beef stroganoff. What it lacks in physical appeal and an enticing-sounding name, it more than makes up for in flavor. My mom would make ours in a big skillet, sautéing seasoned strips of beef in a cream and white wine sauce, then spooning it all over egg noodles.

The history of beef stroganoff points to a different technique. Russian in origin, it was named after the Stroganov family, and was traditionally made by cooking lightly floured beef cubes with broth and mustard and finishing it all with sour cream. No noodles were involved, nor any cream or alcohol. Over time, the dish has evolved and been adapted to what most people now recognize: some form of beef in a creamy sauce served over noodles.

Whether you use sour cream or actual cream is up for debate; you’ll see it served with potatoes sometimes, and other times, rice.

The spirit of the dish is what I’m drawn to: the deeply savory flavor of the sauce, the meatiness of the beef, the comforting softness of the noodles.

When my husband decided last year to dabble in veganism (a challenge for me as a cook!), I took on the project of adapting some of our favorite dishes. Beef stroganoff seemed firmly out of reach: How could I eliminate the dairy and meat and egg noodles and yield anything even remotely similar?

The answer lies, as many good things do, with mushrooms. Mushrooms mimic the umami meatiness of beef; equally satisfying, they feel substantial enough to stand in as the main ingredient. To achieve a similarly luxurious creaminess in the sauce, I use a combination of oat milk and flour, cooking them together like a roux.

Oat milk is my liquid of choice here since it thickens up beautifully alongside the flour without breaking as the sauce heats, and its neutral flavor doesn’t overwhelm the rest of the ingredients.

I add porcini powder (more umami), fresh thyme, Dijon mustard, and garlic, all of which blend together for a richly savory flavor.

You don’t have to toss in a few handfuls of baby spinach—it’s certainly not traditional—but I like a little bit of greenery to cut through all that beige. Use any pasta shape you like, or serve it all over potatoes or rice or more greens. It’s comfort food that lifts you up rather than weighing you down: the very nicest kind.

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What's your favorite cozy pasta recipe? Tell us in the comments!

In partnership with Planet Oat—makers of creamy, dreamy Oatmilk and other oat-y products (like non-dairy frozen desserts)—we're showing off the versatility of their Oatmilk with tons of tasty cooking tips and ideas.