Keto Vegan Mushroom and Spinach Spaghetti

⏲ ~19 min total · prep 14 · cook 5 · 4 servings

By the KFI Test Kitchen · Tested & approved by Jason Lieu, KFI recipe editor

Published Sep 15, 2026 · Updated Sep 15, 2026

Ingredients

• 2 packages (7 oz each) shirataki spaghetti noodles, drained and rinsed
• 8 oz cremini mushrooms, sliced 1/4 inch thick
• 5 oz baby spinach (about 5 cups)
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt, plus more to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse the shirataki under warm water for a minute, then dry-sauté them in a nonstick 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat, tossing 3-4 minutes, until the pan goes quiet and the noodles squeak — this steams off the packing water so the sauce can cling. Slide them onto a plate.
2. Return the skillet to medium-high heat with 2 tbsp of the olive oil.
3. Add the mushrooms in one layer and let them sit without moving for 4 minutes, until deeply browned underneath, then stir and cook 2 minutes more until golden all over.
4. Push the mushrooms to one side, add the remaining 1 tbsp oil with the garlic and red pepper flakes in the clear space, and cook 30 seconds, stirring, just until fragrant.
5. Add the spinach in handfuls, turning with tongs until each batch wilts and the volume collapses, about 2 minutes total.
6. Pour in the broth and lemon juice and sprinkle in the nutritional yeast; scrape up the browned bits from the pan bottom and simmer 1 minute, until slightly syrupy.
7. Return the noodles, toss with tongs for 1-2 minutes so they drink up the sauce, season with the salt and more to taste, and serve hot in wide bowls.

Why this recipe works

• Dry-sauté fixes shirataki Tossing the rinsed noodles in a dry pan until they squeak steams off the packing water that makes shirataki taste faintly of the bag. Sauce clings to dry noodles and slides off wet ones.
• Mushrooms browned, not stirred Leaving the creminis untouched for 4 minutes builds a deep brown crust that stirring destroys. That crust seasons the whole pan once the broth deglazes it.
• Nutritional yeast adds body A quarter cup of nutritional yeast melts into the pan sauce and gives it a savory thickness that a vegan dish can't borrow from butter or cheese.

Tips for making this recipe well

Listen for the squeak

After 3-4 minutes of dry tossing the pan goes quiet and the noodles squeak against it. That sound is the cue to pull them, because before it they're still weeping water.

One layer of mushrooms

Crowded mushrooms steam gray instead of browning. If yours pile higher than a single layer, brown them in two batches and keep the heat at medium-high.

Garlic in the clear space

Push the mushrooms aside and fry the garlic and pepper flakes in the empty side for 30 seconds. Garlic dropped onto a full hot pan scorches bitter in less time than that.

Wilt spinach in shifts

Add the 5 cups in handfuls, turning with tongs until each batch collapses. Dumping it all at once drops the pan temperature and you get gray, watery spinach.

Reduce before the noodles return

Simmer the broth and lemon juice down until slightly syrupy before the shirataki goes back in. Shirataki won't thicken a thin sauce, while a reduced one coats them within a minute.

Serving suggestions

Shirataki gets a bad rap from recipes that skip the dry-sauté, and this pan work is what turns it around. Serve the spaghetti in wide bowls the moment it leaves the pan, with the mushrooms and spinach folded through rather than sitting on top. A last-minute drizzle of olive oil and another grind of pepper at the table fits the 20-minute clock and the 4.4 net carbs a plate. It stands alone as dinner, though a sharp vinegar-dressed salad alongside cuts the olive oil nicely.

Storage and meal prep

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container for 3 to 4 days. Shirataki holds its texture better than most noodles, though the spinach darkens and the mushrooms soften by the third day. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a teaspoon of water to loosen the sauce; the microwave works in a pinch but turns the mushrooms rubbery. Skip the freezer entirely, since thawed shirataki releases water and the sauce breaks.

Variations worth trying

• Add tofu Cube 8 ounces of firm tofu, press it dry, and brown it with the mushrooms. It turns the plate into a fuller vegan main without changing the method.
• Creamier sauce Stir in a quarter cup of canned coconut milk with the broth. The sauce runs richer and the lemon still cuts through.
• Broccoli instead of spinach Swap in 3 cups of small broccoli florets and add them after the garlic with a lid on for 3 minutes. They need the steam the spinach never gets.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to rinse shirataki?

Yes, give them a minute under warm water to wash off the packing liquid. The dry-sauté afterward matters as much, since rinsing alone leaves them watery.

Why squeaky noodles?

Squeak means the surface water has steamed off and the noodles are ready to grab sauce. It's a sound cue rather than a defect, and it disappears once they're sauced.

Is this dish really vegan?

Yes. Olive oil does the frying, vegetable broth builds the sauce, and nutritional yeast stands in for cheese, so nothing in the ingredient list comes from animals.

Can I use another mushroom?

Creminis are the pick for their firm texture, but white buttons or sliced portobellos work. Whichever you choose, keep them in one layer until browned.

How do I keep it from being watery?

Two guards do most of the work: dry-sauté the noodles until squeaky, and reduce the broth to a light syrup before they return. Browning the mushrooms undisturbed is the third.

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