Publised on 18/04/2024. Last Updated on 23/08/2024 by Richard
Silky smooth vegan carbonara with plant-based smoky bacon. Nut free, no store-bought vegan cream required and ready in 15 minutes.
Crafting the perfect, creamy, smoky vegan carbonara recipe has been a bit of a pet project of mine. Imagine me in my kitchen, surrounded by various plant-based ingredients, looking like a mad scientist trying to solve a delicious equation. After several attempts and a couple of mishaps (let’s not talk about the Great Tofu Explosion of 2021), I finally struck gold – or, should I say, struck creamy, smoky, absolutely scrumptious vegan carbonara.
This dish is a little bit of magic. It’s creamy and yet dairy-free, meaty and yet vegetarian, and gives you that comfort food feeling without a speck of dairy or eggs. It's a game-changer, and I can't wait for you to make it! If you try it and love it, give my vegan alfredo sauce a try! I think you'll love it!
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🇮🇹 What is Carbonara?
Traditionally, carbonara is a simple Italian pasta dish from Rome, made with egg, hard cheese, cured pork, and black pepper. It's cooked into a silky smooth emulsion that's glossy and tangy and savoury. The challenge? Making it vegan without losing the creamy texture and rich flavours. But fear not, my fellow pasta enthusiasts, I'm a rather relentless recipe developer!
My vegan carbonara uses miso paste for an umami savoury vibe and blended silken tofu for the smoothest creamy sauce ever. I know, I know, I'm obsessed with blending tofu, but it's the best, easiest way to make a home-made dairy free carbonara, as well as many other sauces!
🍝 Vegan Carbonara Ingredients
Ok so let's have a quick look at what you'll need to make this vegan carbonara with gorgeously smoky meat-free bacon. As always, the full recipe is at the bottom of this page, so scroll down there if you're ready to get cracking. To whip up this dairy-free delight, you'll need:
- Vegan butter
- Ground black pepper
- Vegan bacon, use my recipe or store bought (see the next section for my guide on vegan bacon)
- Shallot, finely chopped
- Garlic, minced
- Vegetable stock
- White miso paste
- Soft silken tofu
- Spaghetti
- Fresh parsley, for serving
🥓 What's the best vegan bacon? (UK)
Obviously, I'm going to recommend you give my vegan bacon recipe a go! I think you'll love it, however, I understand not everyone has the time to make their own bacon! Luckily, gone are the days when vegan bacon was impossible to find! Here in the UK we have loads of vegan bacon options. And guess what? I've tried pretty much all of them! Here are my top five products (not sponsored, so totally objective!) with prices included (correct at time of posting!).
| Rank | Brand | Product Name | Price |
| 1 | La Vie | Plant Based Bacon Smoked Rashers x8 | £3.50 |
| 2 | Tesco | Plant Chef Meat Free Smokey Rashers x8 | £1.75 |
| 3 | This | Isn't Bacon Rashers 120g | £3.50 |
| 4 | Richmond | Meat Free Vegan Streaky Bacon x 8 | £2.30 |
| 5 | M&S | Plant Kitchen No Pork Streaky Vegan Bacon x 10 | £4 |
🔀 Ingredient substitutions
I always like to give you some other options for ingredients! Here's my favourite swapsies to guarantee a perfect outcome!
- Vegan bacon ➜ Smoky tempeh or shiitake mushrooms, sliced into small cubes
- Soft silken tofu ➜ A full can of white beans can be blended in the same way
- White miso paste ➜ Nutritional yeast (for a cheesy flavour)
- Spaghetti ➜ Any pasta you fancy, really. Linguine or fettuccine will do nicely.
🍳 How to make vegan carbonara
OK this one's simpler than you might think. Just follow these steps, and you'll have a delicious vegan carbonara in no time:
Toast the Black Pepper
Start with melting your vegan butter in a pan, then add that black pepper. Toasting it will unlock a universe of flavour, making the base of our dish truly stand out.
Fry the Bacon and Shallot
Throw in your vegan bacon. Let it get all nice and golden, then scoot half to the side for later. Add your shallot and garlic to the pan, taking care not to let the garlic turn bitter on you.
Add the Stock
Pour in the veggie stock and let it simmer down to a thicker consistency. This reduction is where your sauce starts to find its soul.
Add the Tofu Cream
Blend up that tofu and miso until it's smooth as silk, then stir it into your pan. It thickens into this creamy, dreamy sauce that clings to your pasta in the most delightful way.
🤷♀️ Some Vegan Carbonara FAQs
A: Vegan carbonara typically includes ingredients like spaghetti, a creamy sauce made from silken tofu or cashew nuts blended with plant-based milk, vegan bacon made from either seitan, mushrooms, tofu or tempeh for that smoky flavour. Spices and seasonings such as black pepper and garlic add depth to the dish.
A: Instead of bacon, you can use smoked tofu, tempeh, or mushrooms seasoned with liquid smoke or smoked paprika. You can also use store-bought vegan bacon or my homemade version. These alternatives not only capture the essence of the smoky taste but also add a wonderful texture to the dish.
A: Carbonara is a classic pasta dish that hails from Rome, Italy. It's traditionally made with eggs, cheese (Pecorino Romano or Parmigiano-Reggiano), pancetta or guanciale (Italian cured meats), and black pepper. The dish is renowned for its creamy texture and rich flavours, achieved without the use of cream. Its exact origins are debated, but it's believed to have been a popular meal among Italian charcoal workers ("carbonari" in Italian), which is where the name "carbonara" might originate.
There you have it – a vegan carbonara that’s bound to become a staple in your culinary repertoire. It’s the perfect dish for when you need a little comfort food, minus the meat and dairy.
Fancy trying your hand at more vegan delights? Check out my recipes for Vegan Bolognese or my Tofu Bolognese. For more Italian vegan delights, why not make your own vegan pizza dough and add all your fave toppings! They’re just as easy to make and guaranteed to impress.
Vegan Carbonara
Equipment
- 1 Saucepan
- 1 Large Frying Pan
- 1 Blender
Ingredients
- 40 g vegan butter
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 150 g vegan bacon roughly chopped, use my recipe or store bought
- 1 shallot finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 250 ml vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoon white miso paste
- 300 g silken tofu use a "soft" variety
- 350 g spaghetti or your favourite pasta, make sure it's a vegan variety
- Fresh parsley for serving
Instructions
- Place a large pot of salted water over medium heat and bring to the boil.
- Place a large frying pan over medium heat and add the vegan butter. Once melted and hot, add the black pepper and stir for 1 minute.40 g vegan butter, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- Add the vegan bacon pieces and fry for a further 2 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove half of the vegan bacon and set aside on a sheet of kitchen roll to absorb any excess oil.150 g vegan bacon
- Add the shallot and garlic and fry until softened but don’t let the garlic burn.1 shallot, 2 cloves garlic
- Add the vegetable stock and bring to a simmer. Leave to reduce for 5 minutes.250 ml vegetable stock
- Meanwhile, place the miso paste and soft silken tofu in a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively blend in a large cup or bowl using an immersion blender.2 tablespoon white miso paste, 300 g silken tofu
- Add the spaghetti to the pot of water and cook according to the package instructions or until al dente.350 g spaghetti
- Add the blended tofu mixture to the frying pan and stir to combine into a creamy sauce. Cook until heated through but do not allow to boil - around 2 minutes.
- Using tongs or a sieve, transfer the spaghetti from the pasta water to the sauce. Stir well to coat. Use a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen up the sauce if necessary.
- Serve sprinkled with the reserved vegan bacon pieces and a pinch of fresh parsley.Fresh parsley
V H
Omg delish and nut free!
Lillie Taylor
This was my favourite dish ever before I went vegan and now It is again. This eas next level and such a great tip on the La Vie. that stuff is ridiculous
B L
So Good!
Patrick Smart
Incredible! I used your tofu bacon recipe and it worked beautifully
James Darlin
Wow this was INSANELY good