Vegan carbonara
Here’s a genius plant-based version of the classic pasta dish. It’s made using meat-free bacon lardons that contain no nitrites and have been naturally smoked over beechwood.
- Serves2
- CourseMain meal
- Prepare15 mins
- Cook20 mins
- Total time35 mins
Ingredients
- 75g unsalted cashews
- 2 tbsp Essential Olive Oil
- 1 clove/s garlic, crushed
- 250g chestnut mushrooms, cleaned and thickly sliced
- 1 shallot, finely chopped
- 75g La Vie Smoked Plant-Based Bacon Lardons
- 180g essential spaghetti
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- Handful chopped flat leaf parsley, to serve
Method
Boil the kettle. Put the cashews in a blender jug and cover with 200ml just-boiled water, then set aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the garlic, mushrooms and a pinch of salt. Fry for 6-7 minutes until golden, then tip into a bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to the heat with the remaining 1 tbsp oil, the shallot and lardons. Fry for 5-6 minutes until the lardons are golden; set aside. Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to pack instructions.
A few minutes before the pasta is ready, blend the cashews in their soaking liquid with the nutritional yeast; season. Drain the pasta and add to the pan with the lardons. Toss together with the cashew sauce, then stir through the mushrooms. Serve at once with a scattering of parsley.
Cook’s tip
Nutritional yeast:
With delicious umami flavours, this is a great vegan alternative to Italian hard cheeses. Use it to make pesto, stir into mashed potatoes or sprinkle over cauliflower or broccoli before roasting.
Nutritional
Typical values per serving when made using specific products in recipe
Energy | 3,313kJ/ 792kcals |
|---|---|
Fat | 39g |
Saturated Fat | 5.8g |
Carbohydrates | 76g |
Sugars | 5.1g |
Fibre | 9.1g |
Protein | 30g |
Salt | 0.9g |