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vegan spaghetti carbonara recipe

Spaghetti Carbonara - Vegan

A vegan version of the classic dish; Spaghetti wrapped in a velvety "egg yolk" cream that in addition to egg yolk sauce it contains zucchini that work gently behind the scenes. Together with vegan bacon, fried zucchini, and plenty of black pepper - we get a delicious comforting dish!
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Servings 4

Equipment

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams Spaghetti
  • 1 zucchini do not peel
  • 150 grams vegan bacon recipe below

Yolk Cream

  • 1 light green zucchini peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 medium carrot finely sliced
  • ⅛ cup water
  • 2-3 cloves minced garlic
  • salt, black pepper to taste
  • ⅓ cup vegan yolk sauce recipe below
  • ¼ tsp apple cider vinegar
  • ½ cup water from the cooked pasta

Yolk Sauce

  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • ½ tsp cornstarch or sodium alginate** - see notes
  • ⅛ tsp paprika
  • ⅛ tsp turmeric
  • ⅓ cup vegan butter
  • ⅓ cup un-sweetened plant based milk
  • ⅓ cup water
  • ¼-½ tsp annatto oil optional
  • ¼ tsp black salt kala namak

Vegan Bacon

  • 150 grams tofu
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ½ tsp onion powder

For Serving

  • half the zucchini quantity
  • half the bacon quantity
  • vegan yolk optional
  • yolk sauce see recipe
  • black pepper
  • vegan parmesan
  • fresh roquette optional

Instructions
 

zucchini

  • Heat a little olive oil in a pan or wok and fry the zucchini until golden; Season with salt and black pepper; Set aside

vegan bacon

  • Dry the tofu with a paper towel. Cut into 1 cm dice.
  • Mix all the marinade ingredients well. Transfer to an airtight storage container
  • Add the tofu dice, shake or invert the container occasionally. It is recommended to soak overnight in the fridge to absorb flavors - or at least for an hour
  • Preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
    Line a baking tray with baking paper - put the tofu dice, sprinkle more of the marinade over the tofu dice.
    Bake for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned and slightly crispy, check after 10 minutes to make sure it does not burn, and give it a stir so it bakes evenly.
    When ready - remove from oven and cool for about five minutes - to let it becomes fully crispy.

Vegan Yolk Cream

  • Add minced garlic to the wok in which the dark green zucchini was fried and stir for a few seconds; Add the light green zucchini and carrot slices and fry for a minute or two. Add the water, cover, and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until the vegetables soften; Add more water, gradually if necessary. Remove from the heat.
  • Meanwhile, cook the spaghetti according to the manufacturer's instructions. Strain over a large bowl (keep the cooking water!)
  • Measure 1/2 cup of the pasta water and set aside. (keep the rest of the pasta water - we will need it soon).
  • Return the hot pasta water to the pot - place the strainer with the pasta on top - in such a way they will not touch the water - and cover with a lid to keep it warm.
  • Transfer the zucchini and carrot slices to a blender, add the yolk sauce, vinegar; add pasta water gradually, until you get the desired thickness
  • Transfer the cooked spaghetti to a wok, add the egg yolk cream, and cook while stirring for a few minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
  • Add half of both the zucchini and the bacon dice, Stir and remove from heat.

Yolk Sauce

  • In a small bowl, mix nutritional yeast, sodium alginate, paprika, and turmeric. In a separate cup mix the milk and water.
  • In a small saucepan melt the vegan butter over low heat. Add the dry mixture (without black salt) and stir until smooth.
  • Mix in the milk and water. Increase to medium-low heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce bubbles slightly and thickens - the yellow color of the yolk will develop while cooking.
  • Remove from heat. At this point, you can add the black salt, and annatto oil (optional) to deepen the color - add gradually until you get the desired hue.

For Serving

  • Divide the pasta into plates (preferably pasta plates). Using 2 tablespoons, make a small dimple in the center of the plate. Carefully place an Egg Yolk (optional); Add the rest of the zucchini and the bacon dice, add more yolk sauce if desired, sprinkle vegan parmesan, ground black pepper, and roquette.

Notes

  • If you plan to make Vegan Yolks, replace cornstarch with Sodium Alginate.
  • It is possible to make in advance the yolk sauce and the bacon dice. Prior to serving slightly heat the bacon cubes in the oven to restore the crispness.
  • For better results, it is recommended to soak the tofu in the marinade -  a day or a night before baking - the longer the better.
  • Please consider making a double quantity of the tofu bacon for other recipes and sandwiches :)
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!