Vegan Carbonara with Coconut Bacon Recipe
Vegan Carbonara with Coconut Bacon Recipe:⠀
Ingredients⠀⠀
1 lbs dried spaghetti or other pasta of choice⠀⠀
a bit of olive oil to toss⠀⠀
For the Carbonara Sauce⠀⠀
1 1/2 cup cashews (200g) or blanched almonds⠀⠀
1 2/3 cup water (400ml)⠀⠀
2 heaped tsp vegetable broth⠀⠀
4 tbsp nutritional yeast for a cheesy flavour (optional)⠀⠀
1 tbsp olive oil⠀⠀
14 oz mushrooms (400g) sliced⠀⠀
4 garlic cloves minced⠀⠀
1 cup frozen peas (150g) thawed⠀⠀
salt to taste⠀⠀
pepper to taste⠀⠀
For the Coconut Bacon⠀⠀
1 heaped cup unsweetened coconut flakes⠀⠀
4 tsp tamari sauce or soy sauce⠀⠀
1 tsp liquid smoke or sub more tamari⠀⠀
2 tsp maple syrup or coconut syrup⠀⠀
2 tsp oil⠀⠀
1 tsp smoked paprika⠀⠀
⠀⠀
Instructions⠀⠀
Spaghetti Carbonara⠀⠀
Place cashews in a bowl and let them soak overnight. (Alternatively, you can boil them for 15 minutes). Then drain and rinse the Cashews. Add them in the blender along with the water, vegetable broth, and yeast flakes. Blend until smooth and creamy.⠀⠀
Cook the spaghetti according to the package instructions. Then drain, toss with a little olive oil (to avoid sticking) and put back into the pot.⠀⠀
While the pasta is cooking, heat the olive oil in a pan over medium heat and sauté the mushrooms (if using) until soft and browned, about 7-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute.⠀⠀
Add the cashew cream along with the pasta and peas to the Carbonara sauce. Toss to combine. If the sauce gets too thick, add a bit more water or non-dairy milk (for more creaminess), or simply cook it longer, if it is too thin. Season with salt and pepper to taste.⠀⠀
Serve hot with coconut bacon and enjoy!⠀⠀
Coconut Bacon (make this ahead)⠀⠀
Preheat your oven to 325 °F (160°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.⠀⠀
In a large bowl, mix together the tamari, liquid smoke, maple syrup, oil, and paprika powder. Add the coconut flakes, tossing gently to combine until well coated. Allow to marinate for a few minutes.⠀⠀
Spread out evenly onto the baking sheet. Bake for approx. 15 minutes until golden brown and dry, stirring occasionally.
