Carbonara without eggs sounds like a stretch. The cream here comes from raw cashews, and the salty, smoky hit comes from shiitake mushrooms roasted until they snap. Nothing else is pretending to be pancetta.
You need 12 ounces of spaghetti, 3 cups of sliced shiitake caps, and a half cup of cashews that soaked overnight. Start the cashews the night before or the sauce won't get smooth.
The mushrooms take about 15 minutes in a 375°F oven, and the pasta cooks while they're in there. Total time is roughly 45 minutes, and it feeds four.
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Heat the oven
Set the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. Boil the pasta
Cook the spaghetti in salted water following the package directions. Scoop out about a cup of the water before draining.
3. Season the mushrooms
In a medium bowl, toss the sliced shiitake caps with 3 tablespoons olive oil, the smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until every slice is coated.
4. Roast the mushrooms
Spread the mushrooms on the lined sheet in one layer. Bake for 7 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake another 7 to 8 minutes, until they're browned and crisp at the edges.
5. Cool the mushrooms
Leave the slices on the sheet to cool. They crisp further as they sit.
6. Blend the sauce
Drain the soaked cashews and put them in a blender with 1/4 cup olive oil, the non-dairy milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Blend until completely smooth.
7. Coat the pasta
Drain the spaghetti and put it back in the pot. Pour in the sauce and toss until every strand is covered, adding pasta water a splash at a time if it looks thick.
8. Add the mushrooms
Fold in the cooled mushroom bacon, saving a few slices to scatter on top.
9. Serve
Divide between four bowls, top with parsley and the reserved mushrooms, and eat right away.
Pro Tips
How to Store Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara
Refrigerator
Keep leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days. The pasta absorbs sauce as it sits, so expect a drier dish.
Freezer
Freeze the sauce alone for up to 2 months. Freeze the finished pasta only if you don't mind softer mushrooms.
Reheating
Warm in a skillet over medium-low heat with a spoonful of water, stirring until the sauce loosens. A microwave works but heats unevenly.
Variations
- Swap half the cashews for silken tofu for a lighter sauce, but blend it well.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the mushroom bowl before roasting if you want heat.
- Use cremini mushrooms when shiitake caps aren't available. Slice them thin and expect a slightly softer crunch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Why does my cashew sauce taste chalky?
The cashews weren't soaked long enough or weren't blended long enough. Soak them overnight in the fridge and run the blender a full minute past smooth.
Q: Can I make this without nutritional yeast?
You can leave it out, but the sauce will taste flatter. A small spoon of white miso is the closest stand-in.
Q: Are the mushrooms supposed to be crunchy?
Yes, crisp at the edges and chewy in the middle. If they come out soft, they were sliced too thick or packed too close on the sheet.
Q: How much pasta water should I add?
Start with two tablespoons and stir. Add more only if the sauce clings in clumps instead of coating the strands.
Q: Does this taste like real carbonara?
It tastes smoky, garlicky and creamy, but it won't taste of egg or cured pork. Judge it as its own dish.
Vegan Spaghetti Carbonara With Crispy Mushroom Bacon
Cashew cream and crispy baked shiitake bacon turn spaghetti carbonara plant-based, with no eggs and no dairy. Ready in about 45 minutes for four people.
Ingredients
Instructions
- 1Heat the oven — Set the oven to 375°F (190°C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- 2Boil the pasta — Cook the spaghetti in salted water following the package directions. Scoop out about a cup of the water before draining.
- 3Season the mushrooms — In a medium bowl, toss the sliced shiitake caps with 3 tablespoons olive oil, the smoked paprika, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until every slice is coated.
- 4Roast the mushrooms — Spread the mushrooms on the lined sheet in one layer. Bake for 7 minutes, then turn the slices over and bake another 7 to 8 minutes, until they're browned and crisp at the edges.
- 5Cool the mushrooms — Leave the slices on the sheet to cool. They crisp further as they sit.
- 6Blend the sauce — Drain the soaked cashews and put them in a blender with 1/4 cup olive oil, the non-dairy milk, garlic, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon paprika. Blend until completely smooth.
- 7Coat the pasta — Drain the spaghetti and put it back in the pot. Pour in the sauce and toss until every strand is covered, adding pasta water a splash at a time if it looks thick.
- 8Add the mushrooms — Fold in the cooled mushroom bacon, saving a few slices to scatter on top.
- 9Serve — Divide between four bowls, top with parsley and the reserved mushrooms, and eat right away.
Darnell covers air fryer recipes and slow cook meals, with a steady side of eggs and breakfast casseroles for people cooking on a tight schedule. He writes in a blunt, test-it-again voice and flags the mistakes that ruin texture, from soggy fries to rubbery eggs. Every post gives timings, temperatures, and a fallback if your machine runs hot.
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