Description
This vegan Gochujang Carbonara combines deliciously marinated tofu with a creamy cashew sauce. Perfect for a quick dinner, it’s packed with flavor and sure to satisfy!
Ingredients
Scale
- 8 oz super firm tofu
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or tamari)
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced (whites and greens separated)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 large shallot, minced
- Oil for sautéing
- â…“ cup raw cashews, soaked
- â…” cup water
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 2 tablespoons gochujang
- Black pepper
- 1 lb spaghetti
- ¼–½ cup vegan parmesan cheese
- Black salt (kala namak), to taste
- Additional salt and black pepper
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Fresh basil
Instructions
- Soak cashews in boiling water for at least 20 minutes to soften them for blending.
- Cut tofu into small cubes and marinate with soy sauce, rice vinegar, maple syrup, liquid smoke, smoked paprika, and salt for 10 minutes.
- Heat oil in a skillet, sauté scallion whites, shallot, and garlic until fragrant for 3-4 minutes and then remove from heat.
- Drain cashews and blend them with sautéed ingredients, water, nutritional yeast, black pepper, and gochujang until smooth.
- Heat oil in the skillet, cook marinated tofu until crispy, about 8-10 minutes, then set aside.
- Boil salted water, cook spaghetti until al dente, reserving 2 cups of pasta water before draining.
- Toss cooked spaghetti with blended sauce and vegan parmesan, adding reserved pasta water until creamy.
- Adjust seasoning with black salt, regular salt, and pepper as needed.
- Serve carbonara topped with crispy tofu, sesame seeds, basil, and scallion greens.
Notes
For a creamier sauce, gradually add more reserved pasta water as needed.
Feel free to adjust the spice level by adding more gochujang.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and reheat gently.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/4 recipe
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 4g
- Sodium: 600mg
- Fat: 25g
- Saturated Fat: 4g
- Unsaturated Fat: 21g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 48g
- Fiber: 5g
- Protein: 13g
- Cholesterol: 0mg