Vegan Carbonara
This silky vegan carbonara swaps eggs and bacon with a golden turmeric cashew cream sauce and smoky shiitake mushrooms that deliver an incredibly satisfying plant-based version of the classic Italian pasta. It is creamy, smoky, and rich without using any animal products whatsoever.
A creamy smoky cashew-based vegan carbonara with crispy shiitake bacon and turmeric pasta sauce.
Nutrition per serving
Ingredients
Pasta
Sauce
Smoky Bacon
Instructions
Make the Smoky Mushrooms
Toss the sliced shiitake mushrooms with soy sauce and smoked paprika. Cook in a hot skillet with a little oil over medium-high heat for 8 to 10 minutes until the mushrooms are deeply golden, crispy, and caramelized. Set aside.
Blend the Sauce
Combine drained cashews, nutritional yeast, turmeric, and vegetable broth in a high-speed blender. Blend for 2 minutes until completely smooth and creamy. The sauce should be thick and pourable.
Cook the Pasta
Cook the pasta in a large pot of heavily salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 1 cup of pasta cooking water before draining. Return the drained pasta to the pot off the heat.
Combine and Finish
Pour the cashew sauce over the warm pasta and toss quickly to coat, adding pasta water a little at a time to create a silky and glossy consistency. Fold in most of the crispy shiitake mushrooms, top with the remaining mushrooms and extra nutritional yeast, and serve immediately.
Substitutions
Common mistakes
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