You can enjoy a delicious and creamy vegan pasta carbonara in just 25 minutes. This is a gluten-free version, which is also healthier and lower in fat.
Pasta carbonara is made with egg yolks, parmesan cheese and extra virgin olive oil, but in Spain is usually made with cream, even in some Italian restaurants, I don’t know why. When I made the traditional recipe for the first time, I fell in love with it and it was actually one of my favorite pasta recipes.
I hadn’t tried this delicious pasta dish since I went vegan, until last April at the best Italian restaurant I’ve ever been, which is in Edinburgh by the way and also last month at a beautiful restaurant in Rome.
When I tried it again after more than three years, I knew I had to make my own version at home and here it is. It’s inspired in the traditional recipe and I used our eggplant bacon. I think it’s the best plant-based carbonara ever! Cooking at home is awesome because you can make dishes using your favorite ingredients and what you have on hand.
If you like this vegan pasta carbonara, check out these pasta recipes: vegan pasta Alfredo, lentil bolognese, 15-minute coconut green pasta, simple vegan piquillo pepper pasta and pasta arrabiata.
Did you make this recipe? Please leave a comment below, share it, rate it or tag a picture @simpleveganblog on Instagram and hashtag it #simpleveganblog. We’d love to see what you cook!
Vegan Pasta Carbonara
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 6-8 1x
- Category: Main Dish
- Cuisine: Italian
You can enjoy a delicious and creamy vegan pasta carbonara in just 25 minutes. This is a gluten-free version, which is also healthier and lower in fat.
Ingredients
- 18 ounces pasta of your choice (500 g), we used brown rice spaghetti
- 10 ounces firm tofu (275 g)
- 1/2 cup plant milk of your choice (125 ml), we used soy milk
- 1/2 cup vegan parmesan cheese or nutritional yeast (8 tbsp)
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (4 tbsp)
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp tahini (or extra virgin olive oil)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/8 ground black pepper
- Vegan bacon to taste, we usually add 3 slices for each serving
- Fresh parsley to taste
Instructions
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Place the rest of the ingredients (except the bacon and the parsley) in a blender and blend until smooth.
- When the pasta is ready, strain it and place it in a frying pan or in the same pot you’ve cooked the pasta, add the sauce and the bacon (chopped) and cook over medium-high heat for about 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
- Serve with some fresh parsley on top, more pepper and more bacon (optional).
- Store the pasta carbonara in the fridge in a sealed container for up to 4 days.
Notes
- Use any type of pasta you want.
- Adding 1 tsp of turmeric powder you’ll get a beautiful color, but if you’re not a big fan of this ingredient, omit it or add just 1/2 tsp.
- If you don’t eat soy, you could try to use overnight soaked cashews instead of the tofu and any other plant milk instead of the soy milk.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/8 of the recipe using nutritional yeast instead of the vegan parmesan cheese and without the bacon
- Calories: 375
- Sugar: 2.2 g
- Sodium: 195.9 mg
- Fat: 7.3 g
- Saturated Fat: 0.6 g
- Carbohydrates: 61.3 g
- Fiber: 10.6 g
- Protein: 22.9 g
Jan Lancaster says
August 1, 2017 at 08:02This was so yummy!
★★★★★
Iosune says
August 2, 2017 at 11:33Hi Jan! Thanks a lot 🙂 I’m so glad you liked it!
Susan Serventi says
February 4, 2018 at 07:36What is the white substance on top of the pasta, below the eggplant bacon? (Looks like a fried egg but I know It’s not…)
Iosune says
February 5, 2018 at 11:20Hi Susan! It’s the sauce, we added more on top 😉
Megan Davis says
August 8, 2017 at 22:51This recipe looks great! I just made this and it was AMAZING! Thanks for the recipe.
Iosune says
August 14, 2017 at 16:28Hi Megan! Thanks a lot 🙂 I’m so glad you liked it!
Bryan says
November 30, 2017 at 03:59This was amazingly good! Any idea on how to make it a touch creamier?
I added a little black salt for the sulfur taste of eggs.
Iosune says
December 1, 2017 at 09:26Hi Bryan! So glad you liked it 🙂 Add more milk if it’s too thick or more tofu if is too liquid. You could also add more fat (tahini, any nut butter, oil). Have a nice day!
Annabelle says
March 8, 2018 at 19:13If using soaked cashews instead of tofu, how much cashews are needed? And then blend them after?
Iosune says
March 25, 2018 at 05:17Hi Annabelle! I haven’t tried this recipe with cashews myself, so I can’t help you, sorry! Yes, you need to blend the sauce 🙂
Salad bar buffet says
April 19, 2018 at 12:29The pasta is very dry. i think 1/2 lb of pasta would be better then 1 lb.
★★★★
Iosune says
April 28, 2018 at 05:09Hi! As you can see in the pictures, our pasta wasn’t dry at all. Have you followed all the steps and used the same ingredients?
robert A magno says
October 26, 2018 at 21:16I have not made this recipe yet. Need a reply to the following questions: Can other nuts be used instead of cashews? Is unsweetened Almond milk ok? I’m assuming the soaking of the nuts is to soften them up, discard the liquid and then grind them into a paste?
Iosune says
October 27, 2018 at 09:15Hi Robert! As you can read in the recipe, you can use any type of milk you want. I’ve never tried this recipe using other nuts, but I think it could work. Yes, just soak them, discard the water and blend them with the rest of the ingredients. Hope you like it!
Claire says
December 3, 2018 at 00:24Incredible recipe! I made it with vegan Easy egg instead of tofu and used smoked tofu for the bacon and the taste is amazing! Carbonara used to be one of my favourite meals and I’m so happy to have it back!!!
★★★★★
Iosune says
December 3, 2018 at 09:18Hi Claire! Sounds great 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!
Loretta Laura Ziegler says
February 17, 2019 at 16:23Cooked it for my boyfriend for his night shift.. ended up eating most of it😊
★★★★★
Iosune says
February 18, 2019 at 10:41Hi Loretta! I’m so happy to hear that 🙂
Chlo says
May 6, 2019 at 13:22Can you freeze the sauce (unmixed with the pasta)? I am the only vegan in my family and it would make more sense to create a batch than a single serving!! 🙂
Iosune says
May 8, 2019 at 08:52Hi Chlo! I’ve never tried it myself, so I’m not sure, sorry! You could try, or just cut down the recipe. Have a nice day!