Ideal for a speedy and delicious vegan dinner during the week this is an incredibly simple plant-based twist on the traditional carbonara.
Preparation time
less than 30 mins
Cooking time
30 mins to 1 hour
Serves
Serves 4
Dietary
Vegetarian

From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
- Garlic bulb, 1
- Truffle oil, 1 tbsp
- Smoked salt, 1 tsp
- Silken tofu, 200g/7oz
- Nutritional yeast, 15g/½oz
- Cashew nuts, 50g/1¾oz, soaked and water reserved
- Black salt, ½ tsp
- Miso paste, 1 tsp
- Vegetable oil, 1 tbsp
- Vegan bacon, 200g/7oz, chopped, or vegan bacon lardons, plus extra to serve
- Pasta, 500g/1lb 2oz, such as mafalda or spaghetti
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- Vegan hard cheese, 75g/2½oz, grated, to serve
Method
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C Fan/Gas 6).
- Prepare the garlic:
- Cut the top off the garlic bulb.
- Drizzle with truffle oil and sprinkle with smoked salt.
- Wrap the garlic bulb in kitchen foil.
- Place in a small roasting tin and roast for 30–40 minutes.
- Remove from oven and let cool slightly.
- Make the sauce:
- Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves into a blender or food processor.
- Add silken tofu, nutritional yeast, soaked cashew nuts, black salt, and miso paste.
- Add a small amount of the cashew soaking water to loosen the mixture.
- Blend until smooth, adding more water if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Prepare the vegan bacon:
- Heat oil in a frying pan.
- Fry the vegan bacon until crispy.
- Remove from pan and set aside.
- Cook the pasta:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
- Cook pasta according to package instructions.
- Before draining, reserve some pasta cooking water.
- Combine the dish:
- Return drained pasta to the pot.
- Add the prepared sauce and half of the crispy vegan bacon.
- Stir in at least one ladle of reserved pasta water to loosen the sauce.
- Add more pasta water if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Serve:
- Divide the pasta among serving plates.
- Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, grated vegan hard cheese, and the remaining crispy vegan bacon.