Italian · easy · 25 min · serves 2
How to make carbonara vegan
Short answer
Replace eggs, pecorino, guanciale with silken tofu + kala namak, nutritional yeast + cashew, smoked tofu or rice-paper bacon. The method is unchanged and takes about 25 minutes for 2 servings.
What makes the classic version non-vegan
- Eggs
- Pecorino
- Guanciale
Swap table
| Instead of | Use | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | Silken tofu + kala namak | Blend until glossy; never boil it |
| Pecorino | Nutritional yeast + cashew | Adds salt and funk |
| Guanciale | Smoked tofu or rice-paper bacon | Fry until genuinely crisp |
Method
- 1Blend silken tofu, nutritional yeast, kala namak and pepper into a pourable cream.
- 2Fry smoked tofu lardons in olive oil until crisp; keep the flavoured oil.
- 3Cook spaghetti and reserve a mug of pasta water.
- 4Off the heat, toss pasta with the tofu cream and enough pasta water to make it silky.
- 5Fold in the lardons and a heavy hand of cracked black pepper.
The one thing people get wrong
Take the pan fully off the heat before adding the tofu cream — direct heat makes it grainy.
Frequently asked questions
- Can carbonara be made vegan?
- Yes. Replace eggs, pecorino, guanciale with silken tofu + kala namak, nutritional yeast + cashew, smoked tofu or rice-paper bacon. The method stays essentially the same and takes about 25 minutes.
- What is the hardest part of veganizing carbonara?
- Take the pan fully off the heat before adding the tofu cream — direct heat makes it grainy.
- How long does vegan carbonara take?
- About 25 minutes for 2 servings — a easy recipe.
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