Description
A delightful vegan twist on the classic Italian carbonara, featuring a creamy cashew sauce and smoky tofu.
Ingredients
Scale
- 12 oz spaghetti or other pasta (about 340g)
- 1 cup raw cashews (about 130g), soaked in hot water for 20 minutes
- 8 oz smoked tofu (about 225g), cut into small cubes
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plant milk (180ml; oat or soy preferred)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast (20g)
- 1 tbsp white miso paste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 tbsp olive oil, divided
- Salt and black pepper, to taste
- 1/4 tsp turmeric (optional, for color)
- Fresh parsley, chopped (for serving)
Instructions
- Soak the cashews in boiling water for 20 minutes.
- Cook the pasta in salted boiling water according to package instructions until al dente, about 8-10 minutes, reserving 1/2 cup of pasta water before draining.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the smoked tofu cubes, and fry until golden and crispy, about 4-5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and minced garlic to the skillet, sautéing for 1-2 minutes until fragrant, then remove from heat.
- Drain the cashews and blend with plant milk, nutritional yeast, miso paste, lemon juice, and turmeric until smooth.
- Combine the drained pasta with the cashew cream sauce and sautéed garlic, adding reserved pasta water until desired consistency is reached.
- Gently fold in the crispy smoked tofu and season generously with cracked black pepper.
- Serve in bowls, garnished with chopped parsley and extra tofu bits.
Notes
For best results, soak cashews well and avoid overcooking pasta.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Italian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 18g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 60g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 0mg