Vegan Carbonara made with creamy butter beans and delicate cauliflower florets with marinaded mushroom pancetta and coconut bacon.
Indulge in something creamy and funky that’ll get your tastebuds salivating. And, chill.
This dish will overturn any beliefs that vegan food can’t be super scrummy.
Make this:
- When you’ve had a tough day at work and need a quick pasta dish but with a full flavoursome sauce
- When you’re rushing out the door and need to rustle a dish that’ll have you satiated before a night on the town
- When the kiddies need a dish that’ll have them chomping at the bits for more as they guzzle up your delicious food
Vegan Carbonara was inspired when dining with a beau at a restaurant in Ravello on the Amalfi Coast and enjoying a bottle of prosecco as we gazed into each other eyes.
Carbonara has Neapolitan origins and while the original is made with lard, raw eggs and cheese, this vegan version uses shitake mushroom and coconut flakes dehydrated in a paprika, tamari and olive oil marinade.
Vegan Carbonara is another one of my traditional dishes. There is nothing better then making this sauce with some pasta and relaxing into the day. Vegan Carbonara is surely to delight.
Vegan Carbonara is a condiment.
What to do next
Tag me on @ethiveganquantum on Instagram to show me what you’ve made and let me know you’re happy for me to share.
My recipes are featured in vegan speciality publications: Nourished, Vegan Life, Plant Based and Vegan, Food and Living.
Order my first self-published book, “Essence: The Beginner’s Guide to Veganism” part of the three-part Circle of Food series. My second book “Presence: The Ascending Vegan” – which explores how to maintain a vegan practice is out in 2027 – I have compiled all the chapters including recipes.
Going strong since 2013.
Love.
Edward x
Ingredients
- 50g butter beans soaked in water overnight
- 50ml retained butter bean water
- 200g cauliflower florets
- 4 or 5 cloves of garlic, plus oil for drizzling
- 20g nutritional yeast
- 3tbs oil
- Salt
- White pepper
- For the mushroom pancetta and coconut bacon
- 50g shiitake mushrooms, chopped
- 25g coconut flakes
- For marinade
- 1tbs olive oil
- 1tbs tamari
- 2tbs date syrup
- 2tbs apple cider vinegar
- 1/2tsp paprika
- Pinch of salt
- Garnishing
- Oregano and thyme
Instructions
- Soak the butter beans overnight.
- The following day, preheat oven to gas mark 180 degrees Celsius or if you have a fan oven 160 degrees Celsius.
- Pressure cook the beans for about 30 minutes. Leave in the cooker with the water. Set to one side.
- In a bowl make the marinade for the mushroom and coconut bacons by mixing together the oil, tamari, syrup, apple cider vinegar, paprika and a pinch of salt. Toss in the mushrooms and coat with the marinade. Remove and place on a baking tray lined with baking paper. Repeat with the coconut in the same marinade and similarly place on a baking tray. Bake in the oven for no more than 5 minutes. Set to one side.
- Drizzle some oil over the garlic cloves and roast in a small baking tray in the oven. Bake until golden brown. Carefully remove the skin and set to one side.
- Steam the cauliflower for about 15 minutes.
- Drain the beans into a large mixing dish, separating out the bean liquid. Weigh 50ml of the bean liquid – but use the tail end of the liquid as that will retain the flavour.
- Place the beans and bean liquid into a food processor, with oil and cauliflower, garlic and nutritional yeast. Add a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Whizz until the carbonara sauce becomes a soft consistency. Place into a serving dish.
- Garnish the vegan carbonara sauce with oregano and thyme.
- Serve the vegan carbonara sauce with pasta of your choice. Top with the mushroom and coconut bacon.
