Vegan Creamy Carbonara

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My boyfriend had been badgering me for years to make a carbonara, and to make it high protein. So if you are looking for the same kind of meal to fill that gap, then keep on reading. Creamy, silky, satisfying and comforting; both of this carbonara’s flavour and high protein content comes from a mixture of silken tofu and cashew nuts, as well as the addition of tempeh to form part of the ‘bacon’. And if you’re still not convinced, this carbonara is also surprisingly super easy to make, and great for a weekly prep!

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Serves: 5 | Total Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

For the sauce:

• 80g unsalted cashews

• 350g silken tofu (roughly 1 pack)

• 140ml oat or almond milk

• 2 garlic cloves

• 5 tbsp nutritional yeast

• 20g brown rice miso paste

• pinch of salt

For the ‘bacon’:

• 3 portobello mushrooms

• 250g tempeh

• 5 tbsp tamari

• 1 tbsp maple or date syrup

• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

• 20g brown rice miso paste

Everything else:

• 350g wholewheat tagliatelle or spaghetti (roughly 70g per person)

• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 200ºC, fan and line a large baking tray with parchment paper.

2. Start by soaking your cashews so that they are nice and soft ready to be blended later. Place your cashews in a heat-proof dish and pour boiling water over the top of it and set aside whilst you continue with the recipe.

3. Next, make your marinade for the bacon. Mix the tamari, syrup, apple cider vinegar and brown rice miso paste in a small bowl or tub until smooth.

4. Slice your mushrooms lengthways into thin strips and dice your tempeh into very small, crumbly pieces. Throw this into your bowl or tub with the marinade and mix to coat.

5. Lay your mushrooms out flat onto the baking tray, along with the tempeh (spread them out as best as possible to allow for an even crisp when cooking). Place in the oven for 20 minutes, and stir at the half way point.

6. Whilst your ‘bacon’ is cooking, begin to cook your sauce and pasta. First, fill a large saucepan with water and allow to boil.

7. For the sauce, drain your cashews, and place in a blender along with all of the other sauce ingredients from the list above. blend until nice and smooth.

8. Both at the same time, heat up a frying pan on medium heat and pour in your sauce. And if your water has now boiled, place your pasta into the water and cooking for 7-8 minutes. (Both the pasta and sauce should take the same amount of time to heat through/cook).

9. Stir your sauce every few minutes, until cooked - You will know your sauce is cooked when it appears a little thicker in consistency. At this point, drain your pasta and then add your pasta to the pan with sauce. Stir well to coat, then serve into 5 bowls (or tubs, if you are batch prepping).

10. Take your ‘bacon’ from the oven and sprinkle a couple of spoonfuls over the top of each serving. Your carbonara will stay fresh in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you do make this recipe let me know by sharing a photo with me! I would love more than anything to see your creations.