Vegetarian Marsala Pasta
This easy Vegetarian Marsala Pasta is made with heaps of colourful vegetables – mushrooms, eggplant, zucchini, shallots, and cherry tomatoes – cooked in a luxuriously rich and creamy marsala sauce, then served over silky tagliatelle. It’s indulgent, deeply flavourful, and ready in about 40 minutes. Pasta, veggies, booze… can it really get any better than that?!
Marsala is a fortified wine with a slightly sweet, wonderfully rich flavour, and it makes the most incredible sauce. I’ll admit, I don’t cook with alcohol very often (a splash of white wine in a mushroom risotto is not unheard of, but that’s usually about as far as I go). However, it really makes a difference in this veggie marsala! The alcohol cooks off as the sauce simmers, but leaves behind that gorgeous depth of flavour that makes this easy pasta dish taste really incredible. Pasta, veggies, and a glossy sauce – what’s not to love?
🍷 What is Marsala Wine?
Marsala is a fortified wine from Sicily, and it’s been used in Italian cooking for centuries. You’ll most commonly find it in chicken marsala, but this vegetarian version proves that you really don’t need the meat. The wine adds a subtle sweetness and a silky richness to the sauce, and really helps bring out the other flavours in the dish. Look for it in the wine aisle of most large supermarkets. A little goes a long way, so one bottle will last you several meals!
You could also try…
Creamy Mushroom and White Wine Pasta Sauce
20 Minute Vegetable Stroganoff
Creamy Garlic Mushroom Tagliatelle
🥗 Ingredients
- Marsala wine (the star of the show!)
- Eggplant (aubergine) – if you have time, roast it separately before adding it to the sauce, which gives it a gorgeous melt-in-the-mouth texture. Don’t skip this step if you can help it!
- Shallots – gently caramelised for a lovely sweetness. A regular onion works fine as a substitute.
- Mushrooms (chestnut mushrooms work particularly well)
- Zucchini (courgette)
- Cherry tomatoes
- Garlic
- Vegetable stock
- Dijon mustard – just a teaspoon, but it adds a lovely depth to the sauce
- Crème fraîche (or swap for double cream for an even richer sauce)
- Tagliatelle (or any other pasta you like)
- Fresh parsley (to serve)
🔁 Variations
Just like most of my recipes, you can use different vegetables in this vegetarian marsala, depending on what you have in the fridge. Since this recipe is based on an Italian dish, I generally like to stick to Mediterranean-style veggies, but you certainly don’t have to, if you’d rather take the dish in a different direction (I’m all for enjoyment over authenticity!).
Here are a few alterations you could make to the dish:
- Mix up the vegetables – try using peppers, spinach, peas or leek.
- Make it richer – swap the crème fraîche for double cream for an even more indulgent sauce.
- Try a different pasta – tagliatelle is classic, but spaghetti or even penne would work well too. You could even serve it with rice, if you prefer!
- Boost the protein – add a can of butter beans or cannellini beans to bring a little more vegetarian protein to the dish.
🖨 Printable Recipe
Vegetarian Marsala Pasta
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Print Pin Comment(if you suffer from allergies, please double check all ingredients before eating)
Ingredients
- 2 medium aubergines (eggplants)
- 2 tbsp oil, divided
- ~ 7 shallots or tiny onions, peeled and halved
- 1 tsp sugar
- 200 g (~ 2 cups) small mushrooms (I used small chestnut mushrooms), cut in half
- 1 courgette (zucchini), cut into chunks
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 tbsp plain flour
- 100 ml (scant 1/2 cup) marsala wine
- 250 ml (~ 1 cup) vegetable stock
- 1 tsp dijon mustard
- ~ 6 cherry tomatoes, halved
- 1 tbsp creme fraiche (or double / heavy cream)
- Cooked tagliatelle, to serve
- Fresh parsley, to serve
Instructions
- Cut the aubergines (eggplants) into chunky dice (~ 2 inches in size). Lay the pieces out on a baking tray, and toss with 1 tbsp oil. Roast at 190°C (Gas Mark 5 / 375°F) for 25-30 minutes, until soft.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining 1tbsp oil in a large frying pan, and add the halved shallots. Cook over a medium-low heat for a couple of minutes, then add the sugar and cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until the shallots are fairly soft and just beginning to caramelise. Add the mushrooms, courgette (zucchini), and garlic, and cook over a medium heat for a further 5-10 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft. Add the cooked aubergine to the pan.
- Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables, and mix to coat. Add the marsala wine, and turn the heat up a little to bring the liquid to a boil, scraping any crispy bits from the bottom of the pan. Allow it to cook for a few minutes until halved in volume. Add the vegetable stock, mustard, and halved tomatoes, and simmer for a few more minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat, and add the creme fraiche. Mix well to give a glossy sauce. Serve with tagliatelle.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information is approximate, and will depend on your exact ingredients. Please calculate your own nutritional values if you require accuracy for health reasons.
I’m wondering if this can be made the day before and then heated in the oven? Of course, I would wait to add the pasta until serving.
Yes absolutely :) Though I would probably reheat on the stovetop rather than in the oven. If you do use the oven you might need to add an extra splash of water to stop it drying out, and cover the dish with a lid.
This recipe completely surprised me with the sweet rich savory flavor. You don’t even need noodles to eat with it, just enjoy it in a bowl solo! Mo
Thanks Molly!
Seems to be a delicious and mouth-watering dish. Thanks for sharing the veggie Marsala recipe. I have never tried Marsala before, but reading through the article; it motivated me to try this dish:)
My husband and i recently transitioned to a vegan lifestyle. Well…90% vegan lol. Neither of us cook much and i manage to mess up simple things. This was pretty delicious! First time I’ve had eggplant in anything and i loved it! Thanks so much for showing us we can still enjoy marsala without the chicken!
Thanks Yolisa! If you’re not too confident in the kitchen I hope you’ll find lots of recipes here you enjoy – I only post really simple stuff :)