This carbonara is smokey and creamy without being too heavy, and I love how simple the ingredients are and how easy it is to throw together.
The tofu bacon recipe was a creation of my husbands one day when he was craving a BLT. I much prefer it to any prepackaged vegan bacon I’ve tried. Together they are vegan magic!
Carbonara Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 cup cashews
- 3/4 cup water
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 – 1.5 tsp salt (taste after 1)
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Blend all ingredients in a high speed blender until smooth. If you don’t have a high speed blender, pre soak the cashews for 2+ hours in warm water or boil for 10 minutes. If your blender is still struggling, add some more water then cook it down for a few minutes before adding your pasta.
Cook your pasta as it says on the packet then mix the sauce through. I like to add mushrooms and peas to mine as well.
Tofu bacon
Ingredients:
- 1 block firm tofu
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp maple syrup
- vegetable oil (or other neutral oil)
- salt
Instructions
- Mix together soy sauce and maple syrup.
- Press the liquid out of the tofu. Cut it into very thin slices.
- Coat each piece of tofu in the mixture
- Heat oil in a skillet, fry tofu on each side for about 3 minutes or when it’s starting to look crispy but not burnt. Add some salt while cooking if you want more bacon goodness and less health.
I serve the tofu bacon piled on top of the pasta. You can also chop the tofu into smaller pieces and toss through the carbonara.
This is a must try for any pasta lover 🙂
Tofu bacon! That’s something new 🙂 I’m intrigued!
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It works best with really firm tofu so you can slice it super thin!
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Thanks for the tip, Luna!
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That looks so delicious, such a good way to replace all the non-vegan ingredients in a “traditional” carbonara sauce!
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Thanks so much! I think the smoked paprika really makes it 🙂
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Oh my goodness, yum!!
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Love cashews, never had tofu bacon though, but it sounds very tasty 🙂
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