Vegan Carbonara with Coconut Bacon

Quick and Easy Recipe for a creamy Vegan Carbonara Pasta Sauce with smoky Coconut Bacon. It’s super delicious, and made in only 20 minutes!

This pasta dish, you guys, is absolutely one of my favorite meals, one that I’ve made quite a lot! I’m not sure why it’s taken me so long to share the recipe on my blog. It’s probably because I honestly feel like I‘m not so talented at taking pretty pictures of creamy dishes, haha! Either way, if you believe it or not, it’s the honest truth. For some reason, I’m never satisfied with the results when trying to make creamy pasta look pretty.

So delicious and healthy!

However, this quick and easy Vegan Carbonara is actually TOO DELICIOUS to not give you the recipe! It’s made with an incredibly CREAMY sauce on a bed of spaghetti pasta, and it is topped with smoky coconut bacon which is also prepared fast! And of course, I’ve also added peas and mushrooms, making it healthier and even more delicious. If you have followed me for a while, you may have noticed that I can’t live without mushrooms, lol!

BEST Vegan Carbonara

I’m not lying when I tell you that no one believes this pasta dish is vegan when I make it for them. The Vegan Carbonara Pasta Sauce is so creamy and rich, and especially with the mushrooms and that smoky flavor from the vegan bacon, no one will miss the meat!

Easy to make!

To make the Vegan Carbonara, start by sautéing the mushrooms and garlic. You can also sauté the garlic only if you don’t want to add mushrooms. In the meantime, cook your pasta and blend soaked cashews with vegetable broth until creamy. I also like to add yeast flakes for a cheesy flavor. Then simply toss everything together, season to taste, and it’s best to eat it straight from the hot pan!

For me, a real deal Carbonara must have salty, smoky, chewy bites. I mean, smoky tofu is available in most stores, so you could add that. However, I prefer adding the meaty texture and bacon flavors from mushrooms and natural organic coconut chips since there are so many of you who don’t like tofu or struggle with soy intolerances.

Making coconut bacon is very easy. Simply mix together unflavored raw coconut chips, liquid smoke, tamari or soy sauce, paprika powder, and a little oil. Set aside to absorb the flavors. Once the coconut chips are well soaked, spread them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and bake for a few minutes until crunchy, tossing occasionally. You can store this vegan bacon in an airtight container for at least one week, so it’s perfect for preparing it in advance.

I hope you’ll love this Vegan Carbonara. It is:

• Vegan
• Dairy-free
• Plant-based
• Healthy
• Easy
• Quick
• Flavorful
• Super Creamy
• Topped with Coconut Bacon
• Incredibly delicious! 

Quick 20 Minute Pasta Recipe

This quick and easy Vegan Carbonara is perfect for a busy weeknight meal or for impressing non-vegans with the fact that plant-based and dairy-free meals are not boring! ? You can make this pasta dish anytime because it is made from simple ingredients only, ingredients you may already have in your kitchen. Feel free to add any vegetables and toppings you like, or serve this creamy pasta sauce over Mashed Potatoes or with vegetables only. You could also check out my recipes for Creamy Mushroom Pasta made of white beans, or my Vegan Mac and Cheese made of potatoes or pumpkin.

If you try this recipe, please leave me a comment telling me how it turned out for you. And if you take a photo of your recreation and share it on Instagram, please do not forget to tag me @biancazapatka and use the hashtag #biancazapatka , so I won’t miss it! Happy cooking!

Vegan Carbonara with Coconut Bacon

Author: Bianca Zapatka

Quick and Easy Recipe for a creamy Vegan Carbonara Pasta Sauce with smoky Coconut Bacon. It’s super delicious, and made in 20 minutes only!

4.80 von 15 Bewertungen

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Prep Time 5 mins

Cook Time 15 mins

Total Time 20 mins

Course Lunch & Dinner, Main Course, Side Dish

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 lbs dried spaghetti or other pasta of choice
• a bit of olive oil to toss

For the Carbonara Sauce

• 1 1/2 cup cashews (200g) or blanched almonds
• 1 2/3 cup water (400ml)
• 2 heaped tsp vegetable broth
• 4 tbsp nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour (optional)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 14 oz mushrooms * (400g) sliced
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup frozen peas * (150g) thawed
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste

For the Coconut Bacon

• 1 heaped cup unsweetened coconut flakes
• 4 tsp tamari sauce or soy sauce
• 1 tsp liquid smoke or sub more tamari
• 2 tsp maple syrup or coconut syrup
• 2 tsp oil
• 1 tsp smoked paprika

Instructions 

Spaghetti Carbonara

• Place cashews in a bowl and let them soak overnight. (Alternatively, you can boil them for 15 minutes). Then drain and rinse the Cashews. Add them in the blender along with the water, vegetable broth, and yeast flakes. Blend until smooth and creamy.
• Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Then drain, toss with a little olive oil (to avoid sticking) and put back into the pot.
• While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms (if using) until soft and browned, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.
• Add the cashew cream along with the pasta and peas to the Carbonara sauce. Toss to combine. If the sauce gets too thick, add a bit more water or non-dairy milk (for more creaminess), or simply cook it longer, if it is too thin. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve hot with coconut bacon and enjoy!

Coconut Bacon (make this ahead)

• Preheat your oven to 325 °F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
• In a large bowl, mix together the tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup, oil, and paprika powder. Add the coconut flakes, tossing gently to combine until well coated. Allow to marinate for a few minutes.
• Spread out evenly onto the baking sheet. Bake for approx. 15 minutes until golden brown and dry, stirring occasionally.
• Remove from the oven and let cool completely.
• The mixture keeps for at least 1 week stored in an airtight container.

Notes

• The preparation time does not include the soaking time of the cashew nuts and of the coconut bacon.
• To make this dish gluten-free, use gluten-free Pasta.
• If you're allergic to nuts, you can sub tahini.
• I used black salt to get that signature eggy flavor, however, any salt is fine.
• Mushrooms and peas are not necessary in this recipe. You can sub other veggies or omit them completely.
• If you don’t have an highspeed blender, or just want to make a small single portion, you can use store-bought cashew butter or almond butter.
• Instead of making the cashew-cream (cashews + vegetable broth), you can sub 2 1/3 cups of non-dairy cream (or non-dairy milk + 1 tbsp flour to thicken). Whisk together, add to the sautéed mushrooms + garlic, and cook until desired consistency.

Nutrition is calculated automatically and should be used as estimate.

Did you make this recipe?Mention @biancazapatka or tag #biancazapatka!

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