Pasta carbonara is notoriously creamy and easy to make even for the inexperienced home chef. It’s also a traditionally very non-vegan dish. This vegan spaghetti carbonara is meat, dairy and egg-free, but still just as tasty, creamy and quick to make. If you’re strapped for time yet still want to enjoy a tasty homemade meal from scratch, this is the recipe for you.
What Is Pasta Carbonara?
Carbonara is a pasta dish originating from Rome that is traditionally made with egg, hard cheese, cured pork and black pepper. Most commonly, the pasta used is spaghetti, but fettuccine, rigatoni, linguine or bucatini are also used.
The traditional pasta carbonara recipe is actually very similar to this vegan version. The pasta is cooked in boiling water, the meat is fried in a pan (in our case that’s the zucchini), while a mixture of raw eggs or yolks, grated cheese and ground pepper (in our case that’s the cashew sauce) is prepared in a separate bowl. The sauce is then tossed with the pasta, creating a rich, creamy, filling dish.
5 Reasons Why You Should Make This Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
There’s not much to say about this super simple pasta recipe, other than it’s:
- Meat, dairy and egg free
- Ready in under 30 minutes
- Creamy and extra satisfying
- Lower in calories than most pasta dishes
- Perfect as an easy weeknight dinner
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
Spaghetti – there’s no spaghetti carbonara without spaghetti. I prefer to use whole-wheat, but you can use your favourite type. I haven’t tried this with gluten-free pasta, but it should work.
Zucchini – spiralised or very thinly sliced zucchini adds wonderful texture to the pasta and makes it even more filling, with fewer calories.
Olive oil – olive oil goes perfectly with any pasta, and I don’t recommend substituting it with vegetable oil. Add a tablespoon to the pot when frying the zucchini, and add another teaspoon to the creamy cashew sauce.
Garlic – perfect for adding flavour and aroma to any recipe.
Vegan cheese – sprinkling the pasta with a few tablespoons of grated cheese is completely optional, but gives the dish a nice creamy finish.
Cashews – soaked cashews are the perfect ingredient for when you want to make a dish creamier and thicker. In this recipe, the cashew sauce perfectly replaces the egg that is typically added to a traditional spaghetti carbonara.
Non-dairy milk – I used almond milk, but you can go with any alternative you prefer.
Lemon juice – helps to bring out all the flavours and wonderfully balances the creaminess of the sauce.
Pepper, salt and paprika – help make the sauce even more flavourful.
How to Make Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
Step One – cook the spaghetti according to package instructions.
Step Two – prepare the sauce by blending soaked cashews, olive oil, garlic, milk, lemon juice, pepper, salt, and paprika until smooth and creamy.
Step Three – in a large frying pan, cook the spiralised zucchini with crushed garlic, and black pepper.
Step Four – drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water.
Step Five – toss the cooked and drained pasta in the pan with the zucchini, remove from heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and the cashew sauce.
Step Six – you should have a silky and shiny sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with vegan cheese to serve.
Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara FAQs
How many servings does this recipe make?
The recipe makes one large serving or two smaller servings.
Is this pasta recipe gluten free?
Not as written, but you can sub whole-wheat pasta with gluten-free pasta for a gluten-free dish.
Can I reheat this spaghetti carbonara?
This pasta tastes best right after it’s cooked. But, life happens and it’s always good to know how to reheat the dish you’ve just prepared.
It’s best to reheat spaghetti carbonara over the stove, not in the microwave. Toss it in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until heated through. The texture might appear a bit dry. If this happens, add one to two teaspoons of olive oil until the pasta no longer looks dry.
How many calories are in a serving of vegan spaghetti carbonara?
One small serving of this vegan spaghetti carbonara has approximately 380 calories.
A Fan of Pasta?
If you like pasta, make sure to check out my other vegan pasta recipes, including:
Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
Ingredients
- 3.5 oz (100g) whole-wheat spaghetti
- 1 medium zucchini, spiralized or very thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
Sauce
- ¼ cup (60g) cashews, soaked overnight or quickly soaked (see notes)
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 clove garlic
- ⅛ cup (30g) plant-based milk
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon paprika
- 1-2 tablespoons hard vegan cheese, optional
Instructions
- Put a large pan of salted water on to boil. Spiralize the zucchini or slice it very thinly. Put the spaghetti in a pot of boiling water and cook following pack instructions.
- For the sauce, combine cashews, olive oil, garlic, milk, lemon juice, pepper, salt, and paprika in a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
- Heat a large frying pan on a medium to high heat and pour in a tablespoon of olive oil. Fry the zucchini slices with a good grinding of black pepper for a minute or two until the zucchini starts to soften. Add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
- Working quickly, drain the pasta, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the pasta in the pan with the zucchini, then remove from the heat and add a ladleful of the reserved cooking water and the cashew sauce.
- Pour in a little more of the cooking water, if needed. You should have a silky and shiny sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then sprinkle with vegan cheese to serve. Eat straight away, as the sauce can become thick and stodgy if left for too long.
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. To reheat, toss the pasta in a skillet over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes until heated through. Add a couple of teaspoons of olive oil if the texture appears too dry.
- To quickly soak the cashews, place your cashews into a pot, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, remove from heat and cover. Let that sit for about 15 minutes. You can read more about how to soak cashews here.
Leave a Reply