Vegan carbonara

Vegan carbonara

vegan carbonara portion

Happy Thursday, guys! I hope you are doing well and staying safe in these challenging times. After several gloriously warm and sunny days, here in Bristol, it’s our turn to take some rain and so I have the overwhelming need for comfort, and that includes some comfort food. While I love and am capable of making a wide variety of foods, it is pasta that I always seem to gravitate towards when I want something simple, yet ultimately really comforting, to eat. This is maybe why right now, when things are so uncertain, I seem to have lots of cake and pasta ideas percolating in my head. I shall test them meticulously ( 😉 ) and release them into the world one at a time to sweeten your ‘life in captivity’.

First up is a real classic – spaghetti carbonara – made vegan. It’s not an easy thing to veganise as the traditional version relies on animal products (bacon, eggs, cheese) heavily, but I have come up with a vegan version and I am really happy with the outcome. It may ruffle a few feathers as I have noticed that certain omnivores are particularly hostile when you attempt to veganise dishes that are inherently (very) non vegan. They just don’t get it, do they? Many of us grew up on them and miss the taste of them, we just don’t want to inflict pain on a living being for the sake of our pleasure. Simples.

I replaced bacon with meaty king oyster mushrooms, which used to only be available in Asian grocers but nowadays you can easily find them in big supermarkets (I bought them in my local Tesco). I marinated them in a heady concoction of sauces and spices for a few hours and then cooked them on a griddle pan until charred. If you cannot find them, use other mushrooms instead or make facon tofu or tempeh, almond, or coconut flakes – there are many many possibilities, so open your pantry and get creative! As for the pasta sauce, I made a simple, skillet-only and nut-free sauce using olive oil, vegan single cream (you can get it made out of oats, soya or almond) and starchy pasta cooking water – yup, that’s right. Super easy. It’s flavoured with garlic and miso paste for a hint of umami and nutritional yeast for cheesiness. It’s been a big hit in our house and I hope you and your housemates will enjoy it just as much. x

vegan carbonara mushrooms before after

vegan carbonara mushrooms macro

vegan carbonara pan

vegan carbonara

vegan carbonara dinner

serves
2-3
PREP
15 min
COOKING
20 min
serves
2-3
PREPARATION
15 min
COOKING
20 min
INGREDIENTS
MUSHROOMS

  • 200 g / 7 oz king oyster mushrooms*
  • 15 ml / 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 15 ml / 1 tbsp quality balsamic vinegar
  • 20 ml / 4 tsp tamari or soy sauce
  • 5 ml / 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 1 garlic clove, very finely grated
  • ½ tsp smoked sweet paprika
  • a generous pinch of salt

PASTA

  • 200 g / 7 oz spaghetti (GF if needed)
  • 30 ml / 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 large garlic clove, finely diced
  • 120 ml / ½ cup vegan single cream** (I like Oatly)
  • 10 g / 2 tsp white miso paste
  • 2 tsp lemon juice or 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 2 heaped tbsp nutritional yeast
  • black pepper, to taste
  • salt, to taste
  • chopped parsley, to serve
  • toasted coarse breadcrumbs*** (optional)
  • store-bought vegan parmesan (optional)

METHOD
MUSHROOMS

  1. Slice mushrooms into 5 mm / 0.2″ slices lengthwise and mix all marinade ingredients together.
  2. Place mushroom slices in a large shallow dish and pour the marinade over the mushrooms. Coat well and leave the mushrooms aside for a few hours (the longer the better) to marinate, flipping them now and then so that everything is well coated.
  3. Heat up a grill pan on a low heat. Once hot, lay the marinated mushroom slices on it. Allow them to cook without touching until charred (the ones in the middle will get done quicker), then flip to the other side. Continue until all the mushrooms have been cooked. Chop into bite-size pieces.
  4. If you don’t have a grill pan, you can also bake them in the oven at 190° C / 375° F for about 25 minutes, flipping them once, halfway through.

PASTA

  1. Cook spaghetti in salted water until just below al dente. Don’t use too much water so that the cooking water is rich in starch and make sure you reserve 120 ml / ½ cup of pasta cooking water just before you drain your pasta.
  2. Heat up a large frying pan on a low heat. Once hot, add oil and allow it to warm up before adding chopped garlic.
  3. Sauté the garlic on a low-medium heat for a few minutes. Stir often and do not let it brown or else it will impart a bitter taste to your pasta.
  4. While the garlic is sauteing, whisk vegan cream and miso paste together until there are no lumps.
  5. Add a splash of pasta cooking water, lemon juice and nutritional yeast to the garlicky oil. Stir until emulsified and then add vegan cream / miso mixture. Whisk really well and season to taste. Add a little more pasta water if the sauce needs thinning or a splash more cream if you perfer it more indulgent.
  6. Toss cooked pasta in the sauce quickly, then add mushrooms and parsley.
  7. Divide between two plates. Sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs (if using) and some fresh pepper.

NOTES
*If you cannot find them, regular oyster mushrooms will work well too – make sure you weigh them down with a heavy baking dish during the first few minutes of grilling. Other types of mushrooms (portobella, chestnut / cremini) should also work but some minor changes to the cooking method (oven temperature and baking duration, for example) may be needed. Also, do not salt regular mushrooms until after grilling. Otherwise, sub with whatever plant-based bacon creation is your favourite: tofu, tempeh, almond bacon, coconut bacon – the list goes on.

**If you aren’t able to find vegan cream you like, use and extra tablespoon of olive oil, 120 ml soy milk and 2 tsp of cornstarch to thicken the sauce and make it cling to the pasta better.

***I make coarse breadcrumbs from leftover Turkish pide, which we enjoy on a regular basis. I let it go stale and then crush it coarsely using a pestle and mortar. I keep it in a jar in my pantry. You can do the same with any quality bread – foccacia, sourdough etc. or simply use shop-bought coarse breadcrumbs (like panko).

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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
487
24%
sugars
6 g
6%
fats
17 g
24%
saturates
2 g
12%
proteins
18 g
36%
carbs
63 g
24%
*per serving
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5.0
8 reviews, 8 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Neda:
I made this recipe as a mid-week dinner. It was phenomenally tasty and easy. It's going to be something that enters our repertoire of weekly dishes. Thanks a lot Ania!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw thanks Neda, I am so happy to hear that and thank you for taking the time to review - I really appreciate it. Ania
Amber:
100% the best vegan carbonara recipe I have ever tried. My partner loves it. I added in This isn't bacon and chicken bits because I like them as well as the mushrooms and a tiny bit of rosemary and thyme (I know that's not very carbonara-y of me but it is nice) but the sauce recipe was amazing <3
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thank you so much, Amber! I am really happy to hear that you and your partner enjoyed this carbonara recipe so much. Oh and I agree, you cannot go wrong with a bit of rosemary or thyme in a dish like this. x Ania
Bartek:
Wicked good. Had to improvise and switched the soy milk for a homemade nut milk and coconut yoghurt, and it worked like a charm, we loved it. Great recipe Ania!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Great to hear that, Bartek! Thanks for taking the time to review, much appreciated. x Ania
Holly Everitt:
Feedback from my meat eating husband "top vegan", high praise indeed!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks for passing it on, Holly. I'm pleased to hear that it went down so well with both of you! x Ania
Roisin:
I've made this a few times now but with vegan bacon as my boyfriend isn't a mushroom fan and it's so delicious!!! The flavours are on point
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Roisin! I'm so happy hear that you and your boyfriend enjoyed and massive thanks for taking the time to write the review. x Ania
Tracey:
I made this with just spinach (not a fan of mushrooms) which was the only veggie I had on hand and it turned out great! I chose to try this recipe over the others I was looking at because it was simple and didn't have cashews (too much work soaking, blending etc...) My son (non-vegan) even liked it. Guess next time I make it I'll have to make with mushrooms since he likes them and I can always pick them out lol. Thanks for sharing will be keeping this one on hand to make often!!!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks for your kind words, Tracey! I'm delighted to hear that this dish won you over despite your dislike for mushrooms. You could try adding my bacon almonds instead for a bit of smokiness and some extra crunch. Ania
Jade:
We’ve been making this once a week and I have to tell you how delicious it is! The smell of the marinade has me salivating for dinner and it’s a huge hit with my non-vegan house mates too.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much, Jade! I'm delighted to hear that you enjoy this recipe so much and that you even managed to get your non-vegan housemates excited about eating something vegan, fab effort! So happy to hear that! Ania
Laura:
Mum made this for tea last night and it was delicious! It's for sure a new favourite in our house. Thank you :)
    Ania
    Ania:
    Yay, that's great to hear, Laura. Thank you for letting me know that you and your family enjoyed it! x Ania
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