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Bok choy mushroom pasta stir fry (vegan) - Who says you need to use noodles for the stir fry? Did you know pasta is great in a stir fry? Bok choy, mushroom, tasty stir fry sauce, and pasta equals a delicious dinner under 30 minutes!

Close up photo of bok choy mushroom pasta stir fry

I cooked too much pasta the other day to make pasta salad. And I had some baby bok choy that was wilting away in the fridge. So I decided to transform these ingredients into a stir fry dish. And it was so delicious! Do you think it's strange to use pasta in a stir fry dish instead of noodles? Well, let's find out!

Difference between pasta and noodles

Pasta - Arabia is the origin of pasta. The fresh pasta often contains flour, water, salt, and egg(s) but the dried pasta is usually vegan-friendly. Pasta has many different shapes. It is cooked in salted boiling water.
Noodles - China is the origin of noodles. You can make noodles with many different ingredients like flour, mung beans, potato, and rice. Like pasta, noodles are boiled in water. But the main difference is that noodles are almost always rinsed under cold water after boiling.

Similarity between pasta and noodles

Pasta and noodles are both unleavened dough.
There are pasta (often fresh pasta) and noodles (egg noodles) that contain eggs but it is not always - dry pasta and most noodles are vegan-friendly.
Both pasta and noodles can hold their shape in sauce or soup.

See, it's not too crazy to use pasta in stir fry dish!

Ingredients in Bok Choy Mushroom Pasta Stir Fry

vegan oyster sauce, low sodium soy sauce, and dark soy sauce

Bok choy cut in half and cut in half length wise again on the cutting board

Vegetables - I'm using Shanghai baby bok choy and button mushroom. But any greens that can withstand the stir fry sauce such as broccolini, asparagus, and napa cabbage will work in this recipe!
Pasta - Any pasta will work in the recipe but I like to use Gemelli. It's a short-grain pasta with a twisted shape. It is a perfect vehicle for the stir fry sauce to cling to.
Sauce - I'm using a combination of low sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and vegetarian mushroom stir fry sauce.

How to make stir fry pasta?

Sautéed minced garlic in oil.
Cook your mushroom and bok choy until they release water and wilt. (Not familiar with Bok Choy? No problem! I have a perfect post on how to prepare bok choy for stir fry here!)
Add the pasta and stir fry sauce to the vegetable.
Mix well and enjoy!

Helpful tips on making bok choy mushroom pasta stir fry

You can cook the pasta ahead of time. Just cook the pasta according to its package and drain. Place them into a container and store them in your fridge until you are ready to make this pasta.
You can use any pasta you have on hand! Any pasta will work in this recipe but I like using pasta with shapes that grab onto the stir fry sauce.
Prepare everything before you turn on your stove. Prepare your vegetable and sauce and cook the pasta first. Everything will come together very quickly so make sure everything is ready to go.
Don't have dark soy sauce? No worries! You can substitute soy sauce with some sugar (1 tablespoon dark soy sauce = 1 tablespoon soy sauce + 1 teaspoon sugar). I like to use brown sugar but any type of sugar works.
Don't have vegetarian mushroom stir fry sauce? Well, this is an ingredient that does not have a good substitution for. It is an inexpensive sauce that you can use in so many dishes like hibachi stir fry ramen noodles, egg fried rice, and shishito pepper mushroom stir fry! It's time to buy this sauce! (NOTE: The sauce I use is this one but Amazon sells them in 12 packs. This one is another option and you can buy one bottle from Amazon)

If you are looking for a quick delicious dinner and switch up your pasta game, you gotta try this pasta stir fry. I promise you won't regret!

Bok Choy Mushroom Pasta Stir Fry (Vegan)

Print Recipe

Author: George
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 3 servings 1x
Category: Main course
Method: Stir fried
Cuisine: Asian
Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale

7 to 8 ounces pasta of your choice
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce (a.k.a vegetarian mushroom stir fry sauce)
1 tablespoon pasta water
½ tablespoon maple syrup
1 tablespoon oil
2 cloves of garlic, minced (1 to 2 teaspoons of minced garlic)
3 cups bok choy, roughly chopped
1 package mushroom, sliced

Instructions

Cook the pasta according to its package. Reserve a tablespoon of pasta cooking water.
While the pasta is cooking, mix together low-sodium soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce, maple syrup, and pasta cooking water. Set aside.
Prepare your vegetables (roughly chop bok choy and slice the mushrooms).
In a non-stick skillet, add the oil and minced garlic. Cook the minced garlic for 45 seconds until fragrant.
Add the mushroom to the pan. The mushroom seems to absorb all the boil but as it cooks, it will release water. Cook for 2 minutes and stir occasionally. Once the mushroom release water and soften, add the chopped bok choy.
Stir frequently and continue to cook until bok choy is wilted for about 3 minutes.
Add the cooked pasta and pour the prepared sauce. Stir to mix until everything is well coated with the sauce.
After 3 to 4 minutes of cooking, turn off the heat and serve.

Notes

You can cook the pasta ahead of time.
If you forget to reserve pasta cooking water, just use regular water.
If you don't have dark soy sauce, mix 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Not familiar with Bok choy? Find out how to prepare bok choy for stir fry here!

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