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!
1teaspoonliquid smoke(sub 1 teaspoon smoked paprika if you don't have liquid smoke)
Other Ingredients
8ozwhole wheat spaghetti
1cupdefrosted 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!
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