A classic Italian dish made vegan! Perfectly rich, silky, creamy Vegan Carbonara with a scattering of smoky carrot rashers for crispy, chewy texture and sweet, smoky flavour.
PREP TIME: 10 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 20 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 30 minutesminutes
Servings: 4servings
Ingredients
For the carrot rashers
2mediumcarrots, peeled & cut into thin ribbons using a potato peeler
1tablespoonolive oil(or any other mild tasting oil)
⅓ cup (20grams)nutritional yeast, increase to half a cup for a more pronounced cheesy flavour
1 cup (240mls)plant milk, unsweetened & unflavoured
1clovegarlic
1teaspoonsea salt
1teaspoonfreshly ground black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
For the carrots
Preheat oven to 325 °F and line a large baking tray with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.
In a small bowl mix together the oil, maple syrup, smoked paprika and salt.
Add the carrot rashers to the bowl and massage them in the mixture, then spread them out on the prepared tray in a single layer, trying to keep a little space between each one.
Bake for 10 minutes, then turn them over and bake for about another 10 minutes but keep an eye on them and take them out before if they start colouring too much.
Remove from the oven and let them cool on the tray. As they cool some will crisp up and some will stay soft and chewy.
For the sauce
Cover the cashew nuts with boiling water from a kettle and leave to soak for 15 minutes. I recommend doing this even if you have a high powered blender because you will get a much silkier sauce.
Drain the cashews then add them and all of the other sauce ingredients to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
For the pasta
Put a large pan of salted water on to boil.
Add the spaghetti once it reaches a rolling boil and cook until al dente (tender but still with some bite).
When it's ready, scoop out a mug of the starchy pasta water and set aside. Drain the spaghetti using a colander or sieve then return it to the pan.
Add the sauce to the spaghetti. Toss really well over a very low heat. The sauce will thicken quickly when added, so add some of the reserved hot, starchy pasta water to make it looser and glossier. About ¼ of a cup (60ml) is usually enough. Not too much though. You don't want a runny sauce. It needs to be clinging to the spaghetti not dripping off.
Serve immediately topped with the smoky carrot rashers.
NOTES
Storing leftoversLeftover vegan carbonara sauce will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. Toss through freshly cooked pasta with a little reserved pasta water before serving. Leftover spaghetti already tossed with the sauce can be stored in the fridge for 2 to 3 days and reheated in a microwave. Add a couple tablespoons of water and heat gently until piping hot. Give it a good stir before serving.