Classic Carbonara

Classic Carbonara

Carbonara is one of those dishes we kept thinking was impossible to make plant-based, and then we cracked it and couldn't stop making it. The secret is in the mushroom bacon, which gets this incredible smoky, chewy, savoury thing going on that honestly rivals the real deal. You get that rich, silky sauce coating every strand of pasta, and it tastes genuinely indulgent in the best way. We've made this for meat-eaters who had no idea it was vegan, and they were completely won over. Make this tonight, you won't regret it.

Cook: 30 min
Serves 4

Before You Start

  • Large mixing bowl
  • Powerful blender
  • Large saucepan
  • Marinate mushrooms for at least 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp tamari
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp liquid smoke
  • 3 king oyster mushrooms
  • 300g silken tofu
  • 50g nutritional yeast
  • 1 garlic clove (peeled)
  • 1 tsp brown rice miso paste
  • pinch of salt
  • 50g plant-based butter
  • 350g spaghetti
  • Salt & pepper
  • plant-based parmesan
  • pepper

Method

1

Make the marinade

  • Place all of the marinade ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir well to combine.
2

Prepare the bacon lardons

  • Slice the mushrooms lengthways into ¼ cm thick slices then into smaller pieces.
  • Add all pieces to the marinade bowl.
  • Toss well to coat all of the strips in the liquid and leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
  • After 10 minutes, cut the mushroom bacon strips into small chunks.
    Prepare the sauce
  • Place all of the sauce ingredients into a powerful blender and blend until smooth and creamy.
3

Fry the mushroom bacon

  • Place a large saucepan over a medium heat and add the plant-based butter.
  • Once melted, add the mushroom chunks, mix well and cook for 5-10 minutes until soft.
  • Once soft, pour in the sauce and mix well.
  • Leave to simmer for 5-10 minutes while you cook the pasta.
4

While the mushroom cooks, cook the pasta

  • Cook the pasta according to the instructions on the packet.
  • Once cooked, drain (saving a little of the pasta water) and spoon into the saucepan with the sauce.
  • Mix well until all of the pasta is coated in all of the sauce, adding a dash of pasta water as needed to create the constituency you like best.
5

Time to serve

  • Spoon equal amounts of the pasta into serving bowls and top with some plant-based parmesan and pepper.

Tips & Variations

  • Marinate longer if you can: We find that leaving the mushrooms in the marinade for 20 to 30 minutes instead of 10 really deepens the flavour. If you've got the time, do it.
  • Get your pasta water salty: This is classic Italian technique and it genuinely matters here. Salty, starchy pasta water is what helps the sauce come together and cling to the pasta properly.
  • Don't rush the sauce: Take the pan off the heat before adding your creamy mixture. Residual heat is your friend here. Too much direct heat and it'll split, low and slow keeps it silky and lush.

Why This Works

The trick here is the marinade on the mushrooms. Getting them properly coated and giving them that full 10 minutes to soak everything up is what gives you that deep, smoky, bacon-like flavour. The other thing is patience with the sauce, keep it low and slow so it stays creamy and glossy rather than scrambling, and you'll get that classic carbonara texture every time.