This Vegan Spaghetti alla Carbonara is incredibly creamy and rich, yet it's also light and healthy. With a silken tofu sauce, tempeh bacon bits, and green peas for color and added flavor, this is one protein-packed pasta!

Traditionally an inexpensive student staple made with eggs, cheese, and pancetta, Spaghetti alla Carbonara seems like it would be hard to replicate as a vegan dish. But this recipe is surprisingly easy to make. It's rich, creamy, and comforting--the kind of pasta dish you could tuck into on a cold winter night, and yet the veganized version is also light enough to serve on a hot summer day.

Although peas aren't traditionally part of Spaghetti alla Carbonara, I love adding them for the bright, fresh color and taste. And the red pepper flakes give this dish an optional spicy kick that really elevates the flavor.

How to Make Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara

Veganizing Spaghetti Carbonara might seem to be a tall order, but it's actually fairly easy. First, you'll dice and marinate tempeh for your vegan bacon. I like to let it marinate for about a half-hour, but if you're pressed for time, ten minutes will be enough. Once the tempeh has marinated, simply add to a nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat. I don't use oil because the liquid from the marinade will be enough to keep the tempeh from sticking. Just shake it in the pan every few minutes and cook until nicely browned and crispy. (As an alternative, you can use mushroom bacon, coconut bacon, or your favorite store-bought brand.)

You only need about ¼ of a tempeh loaf (about 100g) for this recipe.

The tempeh does a nice job of soaking up the marinade and has a wonderfully meaty texture.

After the tempeh bacon is in the skillet, bring a large pot of water to a boil. While you're waiting for the boil, blend up the tofu, mustard, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, water, and cracked pepper in a high-speed blender. Don't add the kala namak or red pepper flakes until the end!

I prefer to use my NutriBullet Pro for this recipe because it's quick and easy to clean. Most importantly, the sauce comes out much smoother than using a stick blender.

After the water starts to boil, add your spaghetti and boil for 9 minutes. Add the sauce to a medium pot and heat over low. Stir the sauce with a wooden spoon so it doesn't stick. Just before your pasta is done, take the saucepot off the heat and stir in the kala namak.

After you've drained and rinsed your pasta, add it back to the pot, then add your sauce, peas, and tempeh bacon. Just before serving add another pinch of kala namak and red pepper flakes. Delish!

Add the red pepper and another sprinkle of kala namak just before serving.

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📖 Recipe

Vegan Spaghetti alla Carbonara

4.41 from 10 votes

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Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Marinade Time 30

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings

Equipment

high speed blender

large pot

Medium Pot

skillet

Cutting Board

knife

Ingredients

Carbonara Sauce

350 g silken tofu
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoon water
freshly cracked black pepper
1 tsp kala namak (plus more for serving)

Tempeh Bacon Bits

100 g tempeh (¼ of a 400g loaf)
2 tablespoon soy sauce or light soy sauce
1 ½ teaspoon maple syrup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon liquid smoke (sub 1 teaspoon smoked paprika if you don't have liquid smoke)

Other Ingredients

8 oz whole wheat spaghetti
1 cup defrosted frozen peas
red pepper flakes for serving
fresh basil or parsley for garnish

Instructions

Tempeh Bacon

Dice 100g of tempeh into bite-sized peices. Add the marinade ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine.
Add the tempeh to the marinade and let sit for up to a half hour. (Since these are smaller peices you can let it marinate for as little as 10 minutes and still get great flavor).
Once the tempeh has marinated, add to a nonstick skillet and cook over medium heat. I don't use oil because the liquid from the marinade will be enough to keep the tempeh from sticking. Shake the pan or use a spatula to stir the bacon every few minutes and cook until nicely browned and crispy. This should take about 20 minutes, or roughly the time it will take to complete the steps below. (As an alternative, you can use mushroom bacon, coconut bacon, or your favorite store-bought brand.)

Pasta and Sauce

After the tempeh bacon is in the skillet, pour your peas into a colander and run under warm water. Drain and place the peas in a bowl on the counter to defrost while the pasta and sauce are cooking.
Place a large pot of water on high heat and bring to a boil.
In a high speed blender, add the silken tofu, dijon mustard, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, water, and cracked black pepper. (Don't add the kala namak or red pepper flakes yet!) Blend until smooth. Add the sauce to a medium pot and warm on low heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon.
After the pot of water comes to a boil, drop 8 oz of spaghetti and cook for about 9 minutes (see package for exact cooking time). Cook until al dente.
Drain the pasta and return to the large pot.
Take the carbonara sauce off the heat and add 1 teaspoon kala namak. Stir to combine.
Pour the carbonara sauce over the spaghetti and use tongs to gently combine. Add the peas and tempeh bacon to the pasta and combine.
Serve immediately, topping with red pepper flakes and another pinch of kala namak. Enjoy!

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Notes

If you don't have tempeh, you can substitute with mushroom bacon, coconut bacon, or your favorite store-bought vegan replacement.
To make mushroom bacon, add sliced mushrooms to the same marinade above. You can sautee in a skillet or place on a baking sheet and cook in the oven on 375°F or 190°C for 20 to 25 minutes or until browned.
If you don't have kala namak, you can still make this dish, it just won't have an eggy flavor.
Kala namak loses flavor as it's heated, so I recommend waiting to add until just before serving.
The peas can be defrosted on the counter or you can warm them in the microwave or a small pot.

Keyword vegan carbonara, vegan spaghetti alla carbonara, vegan spaghetti carbonara

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