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square image of a bowl of vegan carbonara with tofu bacon
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4.85 stars (26 ratings)

The Best Vegan Carbonara

This is hands down the best vegan carbonara you'll ever eat! Silky spaghetti noodles are coated in an ultra-creamy, cheesy golden sauce and topped with vegan pancetta and black pepper.
Prep Time25 minutes
Cook Time50 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Italian
Servings: 6 servings
Calories: 519kcal
Author: Nora Taylor

Ingredients

Vegan Pancetta

  • 14 ounce block extra-firm tofu, pressed or use chopped mushrooms
  • 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 tablespoon liquid smoke or 2 tsp smoked paprika

Creamy Sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups raw cashews
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
  • 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon black salt or regular
  • 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

The Rest

  • 12 ounces spaghetti or other pasta
  • 1/4 cup fresh basil chopped
  • fresh ground black pepper for serving
  • Vegan Parmesan optional
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Make the Tofu "Pancetta"

  • Press the tofu: Drain the tofu and wrap it in a clean tea towel. Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put a couple of heavy books or a cast iron pan on top of that. Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes if possible.
  • Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
  • Cut the tofu into small cubes. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic powder and liquid smoke. Add the tofu pieces and stir well to coat in the sauce.
  • Dump the tofu/sauce mixture onto the prepared pan and spread the tofu out evenly. Bake in the oven for 35-50 minutes, flipping the tofu over once halfway through cooking. Be careful not to burn the tofu; how long will depend on the firmness of your tofu and the water content, which can vary even after pressing. Remove once chewy and blackened in places and set aside.

Make the Cream Sauce

  • Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Pour the hot water over the cashews and let soak for 5 minutes.
  • Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add them to a blender along with the vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, black salt and black pepper. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.

The Rest

  • Boil the noodles according to package instructions, then drain and return back to the pot. Add in the cream sauce and stir over low-medium heat until the sauce thickens somewhat. If it gets too thick, add a little water and stir until it thins a bit.
  • Serve immediately with tofu "pancetta", fresh basil, black pepper and vegan parmesan, as desired. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. Gluten free: Make sure the recipe is gluten free by using gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce, and gluten free noodles.
  2. I also like this with mushrooms instead of tofu for the pancetta.
  3. Nut free: I haven't tried it, but you may be able to use another non-dairy milk in place of the cashews and water. I would try a can of coconut milk or even soy milk (unsweetened, of course) and mix it with the nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice and salt to taste. Or make this Dairy Free Alfredo Sauce instead, and add the nutritional yeast, spices, black salt and pepper to it.
  4. Leftovers will keep in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. This dish does not freeze well.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 519kcal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Sodium: 843mg | Potassium: 518mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 166IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 129mg | Iron: 4mg