Mushrooms: If you do not like mushrooms, you can leave them out entirely and the dish will still taste great. If you want to add something in place of mushrooms, you could experiment with celery, cauliflower and/or diced tomatoes. If you do like mushrooms, I think shiitake mushrooms would also be great in this dish.

Nondairy milk: The nondairy milk can be optional for a lower-fat dish (can use water instead), but just ½ cup of nondairy milk gives the dish a more genuine creamy “look”; without it, it looks oddly shiny (like it’s thickened with cornstarch), but not “pasta creamy.”