Vegan Pasta Carbonara
In 1982, Rocky Balboa was at the pinnacle of his career. After securing the world heavy-weight boxing title from Apollo Creed, he was enjoying the lucrative endorsements that come with being a champ. Unfortunately, Rocky’s world came crashing down with the death of Mickey and the humiliating defeat by Clubber Lang. He lost everything in the blink of an eye.
But did Rocky roll over and give up? No, in the face of such great diversity, he trained harder than ever and won back the title from Clubber. But to face this great challenge, Rocky called on his now friend and former opponent, Apollo Creed. Apollo gave Rocky back the “Eye of the Tiger.” Apollo gave Rocky what he couldn’t find for himself. Apollo re-invented Rocky and helped him beat Clubber Lang. Sometimes we all need help.
So, as I faced the challenge of veganizing my next dish, I needed something more than myself. I needed to find my Apollo Creed. And find him I did in a can of cannellini beans and a cup of cashews. With their help, I found my “Eye of The Vegan Tiger.” Yes, my Apollo Creed helped me find a way to take a dish made primarily from eggs and bacon, and turn it into a carnilicious vegan pasta feast.
So as the bell rings in the final round, I ask Mick for guidance and listen to my Apollo tell me to “just stick and move” as I face one of the greatest culinary challenges of my career. I give you my vegan version of PASTA CARBONARA. I did not want to wait for a unanimous decision on this dish, so I just went for the knock out. I hope you enjoy it.
Ingredients
- 2 Cups Vegetable Broth
- ¼ Cup White Wine
- ¼ Cup Onion (diced)
- 3 Garlic Cloves (minced)
- 15 Oz Can of Cannellini Beans (rinsed & drained)
- ½ Cup Cashews
- 1 Tbs Nutritional Yeast
- 1 Lrg Zucchini
- 2 Lrg Carrots
- 1 Lrg Yellow Squash
- 2 Oz Whole Wheat Pasta
- 1 Cup Baby Peas (steamed)
- 8 Oz Tempeh Bacon (cooked & crumbled)
- Salt and Pepper to your taste
Instructions
Soak your cashews in enough hot water to cover them for about 30 minutes. While the cashews soak, add your onion and garlic to a saucepan and top with about ½ cup of vegetable broth. Simmer this for about 3-5 minutes or until the onions are tender. Add in your remaining broth and white wine along with your beans. Bring the mix to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes. Then add in your cashews and continue to simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated. Once the beans are cooked, put this mix along with the nutritional yeast in a high speed blender or food processor and puree until smooth. You want a nice creamy consistency so you might need to add a splash or two of vegetable broth if the sauce looks too thick.
Put your sauce back in the pan and keep warm over low heat after you have adjusted the flavor to your taste with salt and pepper. While sauce is kept warm, fill a large stock pot with water and bring it to a boil. Add in your whole wheat pasta and cook according to the directions on the package. This process should take about 10-12 minutes. While the pasta is cooking, using a mandolin or julienne peeler, cut the squashes and carrots into fine noodle size strips. A sharp knife will also do the trick if you need to work on your cutting skills. Add these vegetable ribbons to the pasta when you have about 2 minutes left. In noodle form, the vegetables won’t take long to cook. You want them pliable but not overcooked as they will fall apart.
As the pasta and vegetables cook, steam or microwave your baby peas. Drain your pasta and veggies and put them back in the pot. Add a couple of spoonfuls of the sauce and stir to combine. Then, place a generous amount of the bean/cashew sauce on the plate. Top with your sauced noodles, another spoonful of sauce, and garnish with crumbled tempeh bacon and baby peas.
http://www.grassfedcarnivore.com/pasta-carbonara/Dinner is served. The fight is over. You don’t need bacon and eggs to prepare a creamy and decadent Carbonara sauce. You have knocked out your opponent. And as you place the title belt around your waist, smile big for the cameras and remember what it took to get here. You never lost “the Eye of the Vegan Tiger.” You just needed some help from your bean and nut friends to find it again. Longer Letter Later.
Love, Bob aka The Grassfed Carnivore
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