Vegan Scallops with Lemon Garlic Pasta

Vegan Scallops with Lemon Garlic Pasta looks and tastes restaurant-worthy, yet comes together in about 30 minutes with a handful of pantry ingredients.

King oyster mushrooms make surprisingly good vegan scallops. Sliced into thick rounds, scored in a criss-cross pattern, and seared in olive oil until deeply golden, they develop a caramelised crust with a tender, slightly springy interior.

Served on a bed of silky, bright lemon garlic pasta glossy with emulsified vegan butter and pasta water, this easy vegan dinner is simple, beautiful, and entirely plant-based.

Jump to:

• 💡The Vegan Scallops: What Makes It Work
• 💓Why You'll Love This Vegan Scallops Lemon Pasta
• 📝How To Make Vegan Scallops Lemon Pasta
• 🍝Final thoughts
• 📖 Recipe
• 💬 Reviews

💡The Vegan Scallops: What Makes It Work

The transformation from raw king oyster mushroom to convincing scallop comes down to three things: the cut, the score, and the sear.

• The cut: slicing the thick stem into rounds of about 2–2.5 cm gives you a shape and thickness that mimics a real scallop, substantial enough to hold up to high heat without falling apart, and thick enough to be tender in the centre once the outside is golden.
• The score: cutting a light criss-cross pattern into both flat sides is the step most people skip, and the one that makes the biggest difference. It increases the surface area in contact with the pan, which means more caramelisation, better browning, and deeper absorption of the garlic butter baste at the end.
• The sear: a very hot pan, enough oil, and patience. The mushroom rounds need to sit undisturbed for 2–3 minutes per side to develop that deep golden crust. Moving them around the pan will prevent browning and give you pale, soft mushrooms instead of golden scallops.

💓Why You'll Love This Vegan Scallops Lemon Pasta

• The mushroom scallops are genuinely show-stopping. The visual transformation from whole king oyster mushroom to golden, seared rounds is one of the most satisfying things in plant-based cooking.
• The lemon garlic pasta sauce is made entirely from pantry staples: no cream, no cashews, no soaking required. The silkiness comes from emulsified olive oil, vegan butter, and starchy pasta water.
• It is ready in 30 minutes and feels completely special. The kind of weeknight dinner that looks like you spent far more time on it than you did.
• Nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan gives the sauce a gentle savouriness and depth that rounds out the lemon and garlic beautifully.

More Pasta inspirations 🍝:

• Miso Mushroom Pasta
• Creamy Kimchi Pasta

📝How To Make Vegan Scallops Lemon Pasta

Ingredients

For the mushroom scallops:

• 4-6 large king oyster mushrooms
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and black pepper
• ½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
• ½ teaspoon vegan fish sauce or a splash of soy sauce (optional, for extra depth)

For the lemon garlic pasta:

• 200g spaghetti or linguine
• 3–4 cloves garlic, finely minced
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon vegan butter
• Zest of ½ a lemon
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ½ cup (120ml) pasta water, reserved before draining
• 2–3 tablespoon nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan
• Salt and black pepper
• Fresh or dried parsley, roughly chopped
• Chilli flakes (optional)

Instructions

First step: Prepare the mushroom scallops

Slice the thick stems of the king oyster mushrooms into rounds of approximately 2–2.5 cm. You should get 3–5 rounds per mushroom depending on its size. Using a small sharp knife, score both flat sides of each round in a light criss-cross pattern, and cut about 3 mm deep in a diagonal grid.

Second step: Sear the scallops

• Heat the olive oil in a heavy pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the mushroom rounds scored-side down in a single layer. Do not move them, just let them sear undisturbed for 2–3 minutes until deeply golden and caramelised on the first side.
• Flip and sear the other side for another 2–3 minutes until equally golden. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the vegan butter and minced garlic to the pan. As the butter melts and foams, tilt the pan and spoon the garlic butter repeatedly over the mushroom scallops, basting them for about 1 minute until they are glossy and fragrant. Add vegan fish sauce or soy sauce now if using.
• Remove the scallops from the pan and set aside. They will hold their heat well while you make the pasta.

Third step: Cook the pasta

• Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the spaghetti or linguine until al dente (about 1 minute less than the packet instructions).
• Before draining, scoop out at least ½ cup (120ml) of the starchy pasta water and set aside. This is essential for the sauce, don't skip it.

Next: Make the lemon garlic sauce

• In a large pan or the same pot used for the mushroom scallop, heat the olive oil and vegan butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1–2 minutes until soft and fragrant, do not let it brown.
• Add the lemon zest and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the lemon juice and half the reserved pasta water. Add the nutritional yeast or vegan parmesan and stir well. The sauce should begin to look slightly creamy and glossy as it emulsifies.

Final step: Toss the pasta

• Add the drained pasta directly to the sauce. Toss vigorously for 1–2 minutes, adding more pasta water a splash at a time until the sauce is silky and coats every strand. It should look glossy rather than watery or dry.
• Season generously with salt and black pepper. Taste and adjust: more lemon juice for brightness, more nutritional yeast for depth.

Garnish & Serve

• Twirl the pasta into two shallow bowls or onto plates, then arrange the mushroom scallops on top. Scatter with dried parsley, a pinch of Chilli flakes if using, and an extra grating of lemon zest.
• Finish with a crack of black pepper and, if you want that final satisfying moment, a fresh squeeze of lemon juice directly over the scallops just before serving.

🎯Tips for success:

• King oyster mushrooms have a naturally mild, subtly sweet flavour that makes them the best candidate for this technique.
• Though large portobello mushrooms cut into thick pieces are the closest substitute, though the shape won't be as scallop-like. The flavour will still be excellent.
• Resist the urge to move the scallops during the sear since the crosshatch scoring means they have good contact with the pan.
• Gluten-free: use your favourite gluten-free pasta. The sauce works with any noodle: rice pasta, chickpea pasta, or lentil pasta all pair well with the lemon garlic flavour.

🍝Final thoughts

What I love most about this Vegan Scallops with Lemon Garlic Pasta is the moment of transformation, or, the point where a raw king oyster mushroom stem, unassuming and pale, becomes something golden and caramelised and genuinely beautiful on the plate. It is one of those plant-based cooking moments that feels like a small revelation, even after you've made it a dozen times.

The lemon garlic pasta is the perfect partner. It is light enough not to compete with the scallops, bright enough to make every bite feel alive. Together they make an elegant bowl without being fussy, and satisfying without being heavy. The kind of dinner you make for people you want to impress, or just for yourself on a Tuesday when you deserve something good.

When you try this recipe, the moment worth waiting for is the final lemon squeeze. Right over the mushroom scallops, just before you eat. It wakes everything up. 🌿

If you have tried my recipe then please let me know what you think by leaving me a review on this page or tagging me on Instagram @veggieanh. I would love to see your creations!

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