The Best Vegan Carbonara

Step 1

Press the tofu: Drain the tofu and wrap it in a clean tea towel. Place a plate or pan on top of the wrapped tofu, and put a couple of heavy books or a cast iron pan on top of that. Let the tofu press for at least 30 minutes if possible.

Step 2

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.

Step 3

Cut the tofu into small cubes. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, tomato paste, olive oil, garlic powder and liquid smoke. Add the tofu pieces and stir well to coat in the sauce.

Step 4

Dump the tofu/sauce mixture onto the prepared pan and spread the tofu out evenly. Bake in the oven for 35-50 minutes, flipping the tofu over once halfway through cooking. Be careful not to burn the tofu; how long will depend on the firmness of your tofu and the water content, which can vary even after pressing. Remove once chewy and blackened in places and set aside.

Step 5

Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Pour the hot water over the cashews and let soak for 5 minutes.

Step 6

Drain the cashews and discard the soaking water. Add them to a blender along with the vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, turmeric, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon juice, black salt and black pepper. Blend until very smooth. Set aside.

Step 7

Boil the noodles according to package instructions, then drain and return back to the pot. Add in the cream sauce and stir over low-medium heat until the sauce thickens somewhat. If it gets too thick, add a little water and stir until it thins a bit.

Step 8

Serve immediately with tofu "pancetta", fresh basil, black pepper and vegan parmesan, as desired. Enjoy!