Here’s a delicious Vegan Carbonara recipe that’s creamy, smoky, and packed with flavor!

 

Ingredients (Serves 2-3)

 

For the sauce:

1 cup cashews, soaked for 2-4 hours (or boiled for 10 minutes)

1 cup unsweetened plant milk (oat or soy work best)

3 tbsp nutritional yeast

1 tbsp miso paste (adds umami)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp garlic powder

½ tsp turmeric (for color)

Salt & pepper to taste( black salt for the eggy flavor)

For the smoky “bacon”:

½ block firm tofu, tempeh, or mushrooms, diced

1 tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for gluten-free)

1 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp garlic powder

1 tsp olive oil

 

For the pasta:

250g spaghetti (or any pasta of choice)

1 tbsp olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

Fresh parsley & black pepper for garnish

Instructions

Prepare the "bacon":

Heat a pan over medium heat. Add olive oil.

Toss in the diced tofu, tempeh, or mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes.

Add soy sauce, maple syrup, smoked paprika, and garlic powder. Stir well.

Cook until crispy (about 5-7 minutes), then set aside.

 

Make the sauce:

Drain the cashews and blend with plant milk, nutritional yeast, miso, lemon juice, garlic powder, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Blend until creamy. Adjust seasoning to taste.

 

Cook the pasta:

Boil salted water and cook spaghetti according to package instructions. Reserve ½ cup of pasta water before draining.

 

Combine everything:

In the same pan used for the "bacon," heat olive oil and sauté minced garlic for 1 minute.

Lower the heat and add the blended sauce. Stir gently and let it warm up.

Add the drained pasta and mix well. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a little at a time.

Toss in the crispy “bacon” bits.

 

Serve & enjoy:

Garnish with fresh parsley, extra black pepper, and more nutritional yeast if desired.