Vegan Carbonara

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This Vegan Carbonara is a full-on comfort meal made with savory tofu bacon and a silky sauce that is filled with smoky and cheesy flavors. It'll be a new family favorite! 

Spaghetti Carbonara was always a favorite of mine before going vegan. It was so simple, yet SO packed with flavor! I never thought I could veganize it because the primary ingredients consist of meat, cheese, and eggs.

Well, the day has finally come and I made a successful Vegan Carbonara that is now part of my dinner collection. It's filled with smoky, cheesy, and subtle 'eggy' flavors, but without any animal ingredients.

It's the perfect meal to serve any night of the week alongside my no-knead artisan bread and vegan caesar salad. And if you want to go all out, you can serve vegan chocolate cake for dessert!

Now, I cannot say this recipe exactly replicates a traditional carbonara recipe, but I feel like it captures its essence quite well.

The ingredient list may seem long, but everything is fairly easy to find if you don't have it already. It's pretty easy to prep and the whole dish takes about 40 minutes from start to finish, too.

Ingredients Needed

️🌟 This is a quick overview with step-by-step photos. For the complete ingredient amounts and instructions, scroll down to the recipe card below.

How to make Vegan Carbonara

The steps to make this Vegan Carbonara are easy! First, you'll need to make the flavor-packed Tofu Bacon. Here's how to do it:

1. Drain and press the tofu, then cut into ¼" cubes. Whisk the marinade ingredients then add the tofu and marinate for 10-15 minutes.
2. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once hot, add the tofu and cook until browned and crispy on all sides. Remove from heat and place in a bowl.
3. Whisk the Carbonara Sauce ingredients and boil your pasta until just shy of al dente. When there are 5 minutes left to the pasta cooking time, start cooking the sauce.
4. Heat the same skillet over medium heat, then add the oil and wait until it shimmers. Add the shallots and sauté until translucent.
5. Now add the garlic and sauté until fragrant.
6. Add the sauce and cook until it thickens slightly. When the pasta is done, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain. Add pasta to the skillet and stir to coat. Now add ¼ cup of the pasta water and cook down until creamy and the noodles are coated. Toss in the tofu bacon. Remove from heat, then sprinkle with remaining black salt and stir to combine.

Vegan Carbonara Success Tips

Here are my top tips to help you create the most delicious carbonara sauce ever!

• The carbonara sauce consistency should be creamy and silky, but not overly thick. If you want it thicker, you can cook it down for a few more minutes or add a cornstarch slurry. Add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of water. Combine well before adding it to the simmering sauce. Alternatively, you can blend a ¼ cup of silken tofu with the other sauce ingredients.
• If you don't have miso paste, you can add 1-2 teaspoons of tamari to the sauce and 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard instead. It won't replicate the flavor exactly, but it will add a nice umami flavor.
• If you don't have liquid smoke, you can use smoked paprika. However, if you use it in the sauce, it will slightly change the color. It will be delicious though! Alternatively, you can just sprinkle it on after it's plated.
• The type of pasta you use can make all the difference in the way the sauce adheres to it. I like to use bronze cut because the noodles have a subtle rough surface which helps the sauce stick to them.

Recipe FAQs

Don't worry about the black salt going to waste. It lasts a long time and you can use it in so many recipes where you want that 'eggy flavor'. I use black salt for many egg-free recipes such as my Vegan Eggs Benedict, this Tofu Scramble, and Vegan Quiche. It works beautifully!

Recipe

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5 from 21 votes

Vegan Carbonara

This Vegan Carbonara is a full-on comfort meal made with savory tofu bacon and a silky sauce that is filled with smoky and cheesy flavors. It'll be a new family favorite! 

Prep Time15 minutes mins

Cook Time25 minutes mins

Total Time40 minutes mins

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Italian

Servings: 4 people

Calories: 489kcal

Author: Melissa Huggins

Ingredients

US CustomaryMetric

Tofu Bacon

• ▢ 7 ounces extra firm tofu , drained and pressed (*see note)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil (or preferred cooking oil)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons tamari , low sodium (sub soy)
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoons liquid smoke
• ▢ 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (sub red wine or white vinegar)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• ▢ 1 teaspoon granulated garlic

Vegan Carbonara

• ▢ 12 ounces spaghetti (or preferred pasta)
• ▢ 2 tablespoons olive oil , divided
• ▢ 1 small shallot , finely chopped
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic , minced
• ▢ 2 cups soy milk , unsweetened (or any plant-based milk)
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice , freshly squeezed (*see note)
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons apple cider vinegar (sub red wine or white vinegar
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons miso paste , white or yellow
• ▢ 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons liquid smoke
• ▢ 1.5 tablespoons cornstarch
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon fresh ground pepper
• ▢ ¾ teaspoon black salt (kala namak) , divided *See note

Recommended Equipment

• Large Non-Stick Pan
• Large Pot

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Instructions

Tofu Bacon

• In a large bowl, whisk the tamari, vinegar, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and garlic together. Set aside.
• Cut the pressed tofu into ¼" cubes and add them to the bowl of marinade. Gently toss to coat well. Let the cubes marinate for 10-15 minutes (or longer).
• Heat a Large Non-Stick Pan over medium heat. Now add the oil, and when it's hot, add the cubed tofu (don't pour in the marinade). Cook until browned and slightly crispy on all sides, stirring occasionally. It should take about 7-9 minutes. Lower the heat if needed to prevent burning. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. Wipe out the pan.

Vegan Carbonara

• In a large bowl, whisk the soy milk, liquid smoke, cornstarch, nutritional yeast, lemon, vinegar, miso paste, black pepper, ½ teaspoon black salt, and 1 tablespoon of oil until smooth. Set aside.
• Cook the pasta in a large pot of salted boiling water until just shy of al dente (according to package instructions).
• Start cooking the sauce when there are 5-6 minutes left on the pasta cook time. Heat the same large skillet over medium heat. When hot, add the remaining oil and wait until it shimmers. Now add the shallots and sauté until translucent, about 1-2 minutes. Now add the garlic and sauté until fragrant and lightly golden, about 30-60 seconds.
• Whisk the sauce again and add it to the pan. Cook until it thickens slightly for about 2-4 minutes. If the pasta isn't finished, just lower the heat on the sauce or remove it for a minute. Taste for seasoning and add more if needed.
• When the pasta is done, reserve ½ cup of pasta water and drain. Add pasta to the skillet and stir to coat. Add just a ¼ cup of pasta water and cook down until creamy and noodles are coated, about 1-2 minutes (add more pasta water if needed). Fold in the tofu bacon, but reserve some for topping each dish. Remove from heat, then sprinkle the remaining black salt and stir gently to combine. If preferred, add fresh-cut parsley, black pepper, and vegan parmesan. Enjoy!

Notes

• Tofu: wrap a block of tofu in a dish towel and place it on a rimmed plate. Add a cast iron skillet on top (or something equally heavy) and let it drain for 20-30 minutes. Pat dry to remove excess moisture on the surface. You can also use a Tofu Press to make it even easier or you can use Pre-Pressed Tofu. *Prep time doesn't include pressing the tofu. 
• I prefer to press the whole block of tofu and save the rest for a different recipe or make extra tofu bacon. It lasts in the fridge for 4-5 days and I use it for salads, casseroles, tacos, wraps, or straight-up snacking. It's delicious! If you do this too, just double the marinade. 
• I highly recommend a Non-Stick Skillet for the tofu bacon or a well-seasoned Cast Iron Pan. The tofu sticks easily to the pan and can burn. If you use a stainless-steel pan, just make sure the pan is well heated and oiled before beginning. Watch carefully and stir often.
• Instead of frying, you can bake the tofu cubes at 400 F (200 C) for 20-30 minutes until browned and slightly crispy. Line a large baking pan with parchment paper and spray with oil. Move the crumbles around every 7-10 minutes for even browning.
• Black Salt: it adds a subtle 'eggy' flavor to the dish. I highly recommend trying it at least once. If you're not into 'eggy' flavor, you can just use regular salt instead. It will still be delicious! 
• Nutritional information: it includes all of the marinade ingredient amounts. However, a lot of the marinade will be left behind, which will make the values lower. 

Nutrition

Calories: 489kcal | Carbohydrates: 63g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 811mg | Potassium: 358mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 246IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 2mg

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