Hi everyone! Today, I’m sharing a delicious vegan twist on the traditional pasta dish ‘Carbonara’. It’s really easy to make and takes just 20 minutes from start to finish, making it perfect for any night when you need a quick meal on the table.
Carbonara is traditionally made with cheese, pork and eggs (or cream), so not vegan-friendly at all. These ingredients also make it high in saturated fat and cholesterol (so not great for heart health or waistlines either!)
In contrast, this creamy, plant-based version that I’m sharing today is actually good for you! Not only is it low in saturated fat and with zero cholesterol, but it also contains a whole host of vitamins, minerals and other plant compounds that promote good health. It is also high in protein, with each serving providing 26 grams!
Check out how creamy this sauce is…
… and it doesn’t contain any cream, cheese or eggs. Amazing!!
So how do we make a carbonara sauce using plant-based ingredients? There are a number of ways to achieve this, such as blending cashews or by making a roux using flour and dairy-free vegetable spread. However, the secret ingredient we used for this carbonara was silken tofu.
Silken tofu is much softer and creamier than regular tofu, making it ideal for blending into creamy sauces, dips and desserts. It also makes a great egg replacer for egg-centric dishes like Frittata and Spanish Omelette.
Here in the UK, silken tofu can be found in the world food section of major supermarkets (usually with the Japanese foods), as well as Asian supermarkets and health food shops.
Traditional carbonara also includes pancetta (cured pork belly) or guanciale (cured pork cheeks). Incredibly, there are vegan pork alternatives, including vegan bacon lardons now available in UK supermarkets. If you’re into meaty flavours and textures, this kind of option would definitely be worth trying as a healthier, cruelty-free alternative to pork. My family opted to use slices of sun-dried tomato instead. This worked well, adding bites of rich, savoury flavour and chewy texture.
Mushrooms also work really well in this pasta dish, adding extra savouriness and chewy texture, so don’t hold back if you’re a mushroom fan. I used baby chestnut mushrooms sliced but I imagine that shiitake mushrooms would work great too.
While spaghetti is the most common pasta used for carbonara, you can basically use any kind of long pasta. I used bucatini, which is like spaghetti but a bit fatter and hollow. It’s great for soaking up sauces plus you can whistle through the long tubes which is a bit of a novelty.
Creamy Vegan Mushroom Carbonara
Ingredients
- 400 g / 14 oz spaghetti, bucatini or other long pasta (use GF pasta, if needed)
- ½ TBSP olive oil
- 1 white onion diced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 250 g / 3½ cups mushrooms sliced
- 300 g / 10½ oz silken tofu
- 240 ml / 1 cup fortified soya milk or other plant milk
- 1 tsp vegetable bouillon powder or crumbled stock cube
- 3 TBSP nutritional yeast flakes
- ½ TBSP white miso optional, but highly recommended as it adds a delicious umami flavour
- 8-10 sun-dried tomatoes sliced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Garnish
- 4 TBSP vegan parmesan (I used home-made cashew parmesan, recipe below)
- 2 TBSP flat leaf parsley optional
Instructions
- Heat a large pan of water and cook the pasta as per the instructions on the packet.
- Gently heat the oil in a large, deep-sided frying pan (skillet) and add the onions and garlic. Slice the mushrooms and add them to the pan. Stir through.
- Place the silken tofu, milk, vegetable bouillon powder, nutritional yeast flakes and white miso in a blender and whizz smooth (alternatively use a bowl and stick blender). Pour the sauce into the pan with the onions and mushrooms and stir through. Continue cooking at a gentle simmer.
- When the pasta is ready, drain and add it to the frying pan. Add the sun-dried tomatoes and stir through. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
- Serve in warm bowls with a sprinkling of chopped parsley and vegan parmesan. We also love to add some roasted broccoli on the side for extra goodness.
- If you have used a wheat pasta, any leftover carbonara can be stored in the fridge for 24 hours. Re-heat in a large frying pan (skillet). Add a generous splash of plant milk to refresh the sauce. Stir regularly until heated through evenly. Alternatively, you can store the sauce separately in the fridge for 3-5 days and cook the pasta fresh.
Cashew ‘Parmesan’
Ingredients
- 40 g / ¼ cup cashews
- 18 g / ¼ cup nutritional yeast flakes
- pinch of salt optional
Instructions
- Place the ingredients in a mini food processor or chopper and pulse into fine crumbs. Store in an airtight jar in the fridge, where it will keep for weeks.
N.B. The above values are estimates. The actual nutritional values will vary depending on the brands and ingredients used.
Products used in this recipe
Clearspring Organic Tofu – Silky and Smooth (bought from Waitrose)
Waitrose 1 Bucatini pasta
Marigold Organic Vegan Swiss Vegetable Bouillon Powder
Marigold Engevita Nutritional Yeast Flakes with B12
Miso Tasty Organic White Miso
Optimum Nutri Force Extractor Compact Blender
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I hope you’ve had a great start to 2019 everyone! And if you make this Creamy Vegan Carbonara (or any other recipes on my blog), I’d love to hear your feedback and any suggestions for adaptations! Tag your photos with #bitofthegoodstuff on social media and they’ll find their way to me. You can also connect with me on my social media channels here: Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest.
With love,
READER REMAKES 💚
Been loving all your carbonara remakes! Here’s a selection from Instagram…
This carbonara is amazing!! I’ve made it like 5 times now! My husband said it’s the best carbonara he’s tried! 👌😁Just made it again with gnocchi and extra mushrooms and it’s just as delicious! The sauce mix goes along way too! Thanks for creating a great recipe!!
Awesome! Definitely a keeper! So freaking yummy!
This sounds so good Sharon. I’m never very sure what to do with silken tofu, but now I know 😀
Somebody at work today brought in carbonara for lunch and made me VERY hangry, I’m so glad you’ve given me a yummy-looking vegan solution! Plus so much healthier and lower in fat and high in protein – must eat now, nom nom.
Oh this looks really good! I’ve been wanting to make a carbonara but didn’t think about using the Silken tofu. And I love the idea of using sundries tomatoes instead of the fake meats as well:)
Yum! This looks like a great dinner for a date night!
Delicious!! So quick and easy to make too!!!
Yay! So pleased you like it! xx