Vegan & easy carbonara with a twist. Let’s give a twist to this delicious Italian dish, which is usually made with eggs and bacon, and make it plant-based and a little bit more nourishing. It takes 20 minutes to prepare and makes the perfect week night dinner.
Ingredients you’ll need:
Whole-grain spaghetti – any pasta of your choosing. You can go the traditional way, with whole-wheat pasta, or choose a more peculiar one, made of lentils or chickpeas, for some extra protein.
Frozen peas – which are going to be our main source of protein. To guarantee the perfect amino acids’ profile of your dish, the combination of some kind of legume and whole-grain is a must. In this case, you’ll have the pasta (grain) and the peas (legume), which turn this pasta into a balanced and complete vegan meal.
Broccoli – either frozen or fresh. Rich in many nutrients, including fibre, vitamin C, vitamin K, iron, and potassium. Recent research has shown that the best way to eat this nutrient-rich veggie is by gently steaming it. In this dish we’re going to lightly sauté it, so we can have all the flavour and yet preserve most of the nutrients. Did you know that only half a cup of raw broccoli have 70% of your daily required amount of vitamin C?
Sliced mushrooms – to add a chewy texture and their lovely umami flavour. Any kind of mushrooms will work, just make sure you adjust the cooking times accordingly!
Cherry tomatoes – little pockets of flavor, to add some freshness and lycopene – a cancer-fighting antioxidant!
Soy cream – although many believe so, the real carbonara doesn’t actually have cream. Its creaminess is achieved through eggs and cheese. In this version, I’m adding the soy cream to add the creaminess that’s missing from the absence of cheese and egg. You can always substitute it with plant-based milk for a lighter version, coconut milk, cashew cream or blended silken tofu, for example.
Nutritional yeast – to add the mandatory cheesy flavor to this pasta.
Onions, garlic, olive oil, plant-based milk, flour, salt and spices and fresh parsley.
Other main dish recipes you might enjoy:
Ravioli with Lemon Rosemary Sauteed Mushrooms
Harvest Stuffed Balsamic Butternut Squash
Portuguese Mushroom and Bean Stew
Bulgur Mediterranean Salad
Asian Noodles Salad with Peanut Sauce and Tofu
Vegan & Healthy Carbonara
Ingredients
- 1 small onion minced
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup frozen broccoli
- 1 cup fresh sliced mushrooms
- half cup cherry tomatoes halved
- salt pepper, oregano to taste
- 250 g raw spaghetti
Sauce
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Half to 1 cup plant-based milk
- 1 tbsp flour we tried with whole-wheat flour and all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsp soy cream or coconut cream
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp onion powder
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Sauté the minced onion and garlic cloves in the olive oil.
- In the meantime, prepare the whole wheat spaghetti according to the instructions.
- When the onions are translucent and golden, the frozen peas and broccoli to the pan and leave them to cook in medium heat.
- When the peas and broccoli are almost cooked, add the sliced fresh mushrooms and cherry tomatoes.
- Season them with salt, pepper, and oregano, and let them cook for approximately 5 minutes.
- Transfer the veggies to a plate and in the same pan, let’s prepare the sauce.
Sauce
- Dissolve one tablespoon of flour in half a cup of plant-based milk and add the mixture into the pan, with an extra tablespoon of olive oil, as well as the soy cream. Stir well.
- Season the sauce with salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, and nutritional yeast.
- Let the sauce cook on low to medium heat until it thickens a little bit. If it thickens too much, add some more milk.
- Give it a taste and when it has a nice consistency and flavor, add in the pasta and the veggies and just involve.
- Serve with black olives, vegan shredded mozzarella, or parmesan and fresh chopped parsley.
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