Vegan carbonara

Step 1

Slice mushrooms into 5 mm / 0.2" slices lengthwise and mix all marinade ingredients together.

Step 2

Place mushroom slices in a large shallow dish and pour the marinade over the mushrooms. Coat well and leave the mushrooms aside for a few hours (the longer the better) to marinate, flipping them now and then so that everything is well coated.

Step 3

Heat up a grill pan on a low heat. Once hot, lay the marinated mushroom slices on it. Allow them to cook without touching until charred (the ones in the middle will get done quicker), then flip to the other side. Continue until all the mushrooms have been cooked. Chop into bite-size pieces.

Step 4

If you don't have a grill pan, you can also bake them in the oven at 190° C / 375° F for about 25 minutes, flipping them once, halfway through.

Step 5

Cook spaghetti in salted water until just below al dente. Don't use too much water so that the cooking water is rich in starch and make sure you reserve 120 ml / ½ cup of pasta cooking water just before you drain your pasta.

Step 6

Heat up a large frying pan on a low heat. Once hot, add oil and allow it to warm up before adding chopped garlic.

Step 7

Sauté the garlic on a low-medium heat for a few minutes. Stir often and do not let it brown or else it will impart a bitter taste to your pasta.

Step 8

While the garlic is sauteing, whisk vegan cream and miso paste together until there are no lumps.

Step 9

Add a splash of pasta cooking water, lemon juice and nutritional yeast to the garlicky oil. Stir until emulsified and then add vegan cream / miso mixture. Whisk really well and season to taste. Add a little more pasta water if the sauce needs thinning or a splash more cream if you perfer it more indulgent.

Step 10

Toss cooked pasta in the sauce quickly, then add mushrooms and parsley.

Step 11

Divide between two plates. Sprinkle with toasted breadcrumbs (if using) and some fresh pepper.