This vegan carbonara is a soul-soothing comfort meal that hits all of the right notes--creamy, savory, smoky, and satisfying! Perfectly cooked pasta is swirled in the silkiest, dreamiest (and yes, dairy free!) cream sauce, studded with tangy sun-dried tomatoes, and punctuated by a dash of smoke seasoning.
There’s just something about a bowl of creamy pasta that instantly makes me feel cozy, warm, and at peace. Penne alla vodka, creamy alfredo, hearty stroganoff, and even humble macaroni and cheese–all deeply rooted comfort foods of mine, all decidedly un-vegan.
Among them, a family favorite: pasta carbonara, a classic dish that not only gets its creamy texture from egg yolks but also contains cheese and bacon. Needless to say, this pasta dish is very much off the vegan menu. My craving for it, however, remains strong.
So I started experimenting with how to craft a similar umami-rich, ultra creamy carbonara-like experience entirely out of plant based ingredients. I use tangy, hearty sun-dried tomatoes in place of the typical chopped bacon and to achieve the all important smoky taste, a few drops of liquid smoke. As for the sauce, it’s a simple mixture of sauteed garlic and onion simmered in some ever-versatile plant based milk, thickened with flour, and seasoned by savory nooch.
When smothered over a dish of perfectly cooked pasta, the result is simultaneously everything my creamy pasta loving soul craves while also checking all the boxes as a vegan meal.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
- Sun-dried tomatoes (not oil packed) - Instead of coming in a can or jar like their oil-packed counterparts, the dry sun-dried tomatoes you’re after here are usually found in bags near the dried fruits and veggies section of your market. They have a strong meaty texture and their tangy sweetness adds a ton of flavor, excellent for replacing the chopped bacon that traditional carbonara calls for.
- Soy sauce - To add the all important umami flavor! You can use low-sodium soy sauce here if you prefer.
- Liquid smoke - A little goes a long way with this stuff, so measure carefully as even an extra drop or two could take things from subtly smoky to overpoweringly charred.
- Olive oil - This will be the first ingredient in your cream sauce so be sure to choose an oil you like the taste of. Light or medium olive oil works great here, but I would recommend avoiding extra virgin or dark olive oils for this purpose.
- Onion - I chose a yellow onion here, as this dish very much benefits from its strong flavor, but white onion will work just fine as well. This will cook down a bit so don’t worry about chopping it too finely.
- Garlic - In my experience the inclusion of fresh garlic here is rather important. That said, if you don’t have any on hand, a dash of dried garlic powder will do, just keep in mind that it will be a bit less flavorful.
- Flour - For thickening power! This is the magic that helps your sauce become velvety and creamy. I don’t recommend using 1:1 GF flour here as it really does not thicken up the same but you could use a cornstarch slurry as a gluten free option.
- Non-dairy milk - I like to use plain almond milk for savory cream sauce recipes like this, as the slightly nutty flavor and smooth texture produce an excellent result. If you’re looking for an even creamier, thicker sauce, soy milk will work well too. Whichever you choose, make sure it is unsweetened and unflavored. This is not the time and place for vanilla flavored anything!
- Nutritional yeast - You can use whatever brand is your personal favorite, or check out our nutritional yeast taste test and review for our recommendations!
- Salt and pepper - Season the dish lightly at first, as there are other salty ingredients at play here (soy sauce, nooch, etc.), then taste and add more according to your tastes.
- Vegan spaghetti pasta - Some dried pastas contain egg so be sure to check the ingredients panel and make sure yours is vegan, or, you can use gluten free pasta here if you prefer.
- Fresh parsley - For garnish if you like!
How to Make Vegan Carbonara
- Make the smoky tomatoes. Combine the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, soy sauce, and liquid smoke in a bowl. Set aside.
- Saute the onion and garlic. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir, and cook for another minute.
- Add the flour. Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles gently and the raw flour smell dissipates, about 3 minutes.
- Add the milk. Gradually whisk in the non-dairy milk.
- Season and thicken the sauce. Add the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to taste. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring often, allowing the sauce to thicken. After about 2 to 3 minutes, the sauce should be smooth and silky.
- Mix it all together. Add the pasta and sun-dried tomato mixture to the warm sauce, tossing to coat the pasta evenly.
- Serve! Serve warm, garnished with chopped parsley.
Watch Us Make Vegan Carbonara
Chef Tips
Salt your pasta water. Cooking pasta in salted water maximizes its flavor, as this is your only chance to get seasoning into the pasta itself. A good rule of thumb is 1 tbsp of salt per 2 quarts of water.
Stick with spaghetti. Traditional carbonara is always made with spaghetti, so I highly recommend using it here. The sturdy thickness of this cut minimizes breakage during tossing and the long length is perfect for soaking up lots of sauce. If you’d prefer a different option, you could try bucatini (essentially tubular spaghetti!) or linguine.
Cooking with liquid smoke. Liquid smoke is a condensed, concentrated product made from real wood smoke. If you don’t have a bottle of this stuff, or simply don’t care for it, you can use ⅛ tsp of smoked paprika. It will shift the color of your sauce more towards the pink end of the spectrum, but it will add a delicious, smoky bite.
Variations
For a Thicker Sauce: This vegan carbonara sauce is light, creamy, and silky–which I personally love! If you’d prefer a thicker, richer sauce, here are two modification options.
- Whisk in 1 tbsp of a cornstarch slurry to the carbonara sauce and cook it for a few additional minutes, then add more if you prefer more thickness.
- Blend ¼ cup of silken tofu into the sauce mixture (before adding the tomatoes and pasta) using an immersion blender or upright blender.
To Get More Greens In: Add a handful of baby spinach to the sauce after it has thickened, then toss with your cooked pasta and sun-dried tomato mixture. The spinach will wilt against the warmth of the creamy carbonara sauce and soften as you toss it with the pasta.
Additional Toppings: As mentioned above, I usually top my vegan spaghetti carbonara with parsley, which I find adds just the right amount of freshness and color contrast. Other tasty topping ideas include:
- Chopped vegan bacon - if you have a favorite vegan bacon, this is a great time to put it to use! Chop or crumble it and sprinkle on top of your carbonara for an additional hit of salt, smoke, and crunch.
- Crushed red pepper flakes - nice and spicy, plus I love the red flecks strewn about the creamy white pasta!
- Vegan parmesan cheese - use your own favorite blend or try my homemade vegan parmesan cheese.
How to Store Vegan Carbonara
Refrigerating. To store any leftovers, place them in an airtight container and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing. I do not recommend freezing the leftovers nor any of the components, as the texture of both cooked pasta and cream sauce will be affected in an unpleasant way.
Reheating. To reheat, simply add your leftover carbonara to a warm skillet and toss gently until warmed through. You may want to add a splash of non dairy milk to loosen things up and revive the sauce.
📋 Recipe
Vegan Carbonara Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not packed in oil)
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- ⅛ tsp liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- ¼ cup chopped onion
- 1 clove garlic minced
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 ¼ cup non-dairy milk
- ½ tbsp nutritional yeast
- salt and pepper to taste
- 8 oz. cooked vegan spaghetti pasta
- chopped fresh parsley (optional garnish)
Instructions
- Combine the chopped sun-dried tomatoes, soy sauce, and liquid smoke in a bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook, stirring often, until the onions are tender and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir, and cook for another minute.
- Sprinkle the flour over the onion and garlic mixture and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture bubbles gently and the raw flour smell dissipates, about 3 minutes.
- Gradually whisk in the non-dairy milk.
- Add the nutritional yeast, salt, and pepper to taste. Continue cooking on medium heat, stirring often, allowing the sauce to thicken. After about 2 to 3 minutes the sauce should be smooth and silky.
- Add the pasta and sun-dried tomato mixture to the warm sauce, tossing to coat the pasta evenly.
- Serve warm, garnished with chopped parsley.
Video
Notes
Ingredients
- Spaghetti pasta is the most traditional choice for carbonara, but you could also try other long, thick cuts like bucatini or linguine.
- Dry sun-dried tomatoes are important to this recipe, you don't want to use oil-packed here. Look for the dried version in the dehydrated fruit section of your market.
- Plant based milks like almond milk or soy milk are my recommended picks for this recipe, but most any non dairy milk should do the trick here. Just be sure it is unsweetened and unflavored.
Variations
- Gluten free: simply use gluten free vegan pasta and instead of 2 tbsp regular flour, use 1 tbsp of cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce.
- Veggies: stir tender greens like baby spinach into the sauce before tossing with the pasta; the leaves will wilt quickly.
- Toppings: try some additional tasty toppings like chopped vegan bacon, spicy red pepper flakes, or vegan parmesan cheese.
Storage
- Leftover carbonara can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. I do not recommend freezing this dish or its components.
Reheating
- Gently warm your leftover carbonara in a skillet over medium heat, tossing until warmed through. A splash of non-dairy milk may be helpful to reconstitute the sauce.
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