Cashew Carbonara with Tofu Bacon

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

1. Mix together soy sauce and maple syrup.
2. Press the liquid out of the tofu. Cut it into very thin slices.
3. Coat each piece of tofu in the mixture
4. 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 🙂