This rich, creamy, can’t-believe-it-has-no-eggs carbonara won’t leave you indifferent. Here, the traditional Roman dish gets reimagined in our vegan version with a mind-blowing “egg” sauce. Luscious, peppery and utterly addictive, this vegan carbonara recipe is as delicious as it is simple. Sub the tofu bits for some store-bought vegan bacon for an extra speedy version!
Line a baking tray and preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C)*.
Dice the tofu into ½ inch (1 cm) cubes. Then transfer to the baking tray.
In a small bowl, mix the rest of the smoked tofu ingredients.
Pour this sauce over the tofu and toss to coat.
Bake for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Drain when al dente.
Meanwhile, add the water and cornstarch to a sauté pan. Don't turn on the heat yet. Stir until dissolved.
Then add the nutritional yeast, butter, salt, garlic powder, and turmeric.
Then turn on the heat to medium-high. Whisking frequently, until bubbly thickened, about 6 - 7 minutes. Keep covered, warm on very low heat until serving.
Add the cooked pasta, pepper, and kala namak. Toss until coated.
Divide into bowls and top off with the smoked tofu bits. Sprinkle with parmesan, extra black pepper and kala namak**. Enjoy!
Notes
* We recommend top and bottom heating (not fan-assisted/convection).
** Some of the kala namak's flavour diminishes when stirred into the sauce, so be sure to sprinkle additional kala namak on top when serving!
When reheating, add splashes of water as needed to loosen up the sauce.
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Watch it step-by-step!
Plate method
The Plate Method is a visual tool that helps us ensure our dietary needs are on track. Touch the image below to see how this recipe measures up.
Grains & Starches 82%
• dry spaghetti noodles
Proteins 18%
• firm tofu
• nutritional yeast flakes
• vegan parmesan
Fruits & Veggies 0%
Calcium
• firm tofu
Fat
• vegetable oil
• unsalted vegan butter
• vegan parmesan
Nutrition per
serving
Calories 588 kcal
Total fat
12.9 g
Omega-3
0.5 g
Omega-6
4.5 g
Saturated fat
2.6 g
Trans fat
0.0 g
Cholesterol
0.0 mg
Total carbs
93.1 g
Dietary fiber
5.2 g
Total sugars
7.1 g
Added sugars
3.0 g
Protein
25.1 g
Sodium
1449 mg
Iron
3.74 mg
Potassium
832.3 mg
Calcium
244.0 mg
Magnesium
109.9 mg
Zinc
2.95 mg
Copper
0.61 mg
Manganese
1.91 mg
Phosphorus
364.7 mg
Selenium
74 μg
Vitamin A
25 μg RAE
Vitamin B6
1.3 mg
Vitamin B12
2 μg
Vitamin C
0.3 mg
Vitamin D
0 μg
Vitamin E
0.8 mg
Vitamin K
16 μg
Folate
52 μg
Thiamin
1.2 mg
Riboflavin
1.5 mg
Niacin
7.3 mg
Choline
36.3 mg
Nutrition info
Focusing on numbers can harm our relationship with food.
Instead, our philosophy is to Nourish the Cells & the Soul.
For specific nutrition needs due to a medical condition, consult a dietitian or physician.
While we strive to provide accurate nutritional information, we cannot guarantee its accuracy. See our disclaimer for details.
The dish is ok, the sauce and tofu go well together; however it didn't give carbonara vibes because of the tofu flavorings. I was a bit disappointed. The recipe is not bad, but not carbonara!
PUL Team - Sept. 14, 2024, 4:31 a.m.
Thank you for the feedback, Kim! We're sorry it didn’t hit the carbonara note for you. To capture more of that classic vibe, you could try subbing in vegan bacon for the tofu next time 🙌
Reply
May - Aug. 27, 2024, 8:34 p.m.
Amazing!
Reply
Aileen - Aug. 5, 2024, 11:21 p.m.
So delicious! The sauce honestly doesn’t have much flavor alone, so the smoked tofu is essential. My husband and I both agreed the photos of the tofu were way too blackened, so we only did 20 minutes and were very happy at the slight char they had at that point. The only thing I would change in the future is half the amount of turmeric powder as it was too yellow instead of the light or pale yellow we were wanting and increase the amount of salt. I’d happily make this one again!
PUL Team - Aug. 8, 2024, 5:26 a.m.
Thanks a bunch for taking the time time to share the review, Aileen! It's so appreciated so we can improve what we do 🥰
Reply
Reid Wegrecki - July 30, 2024, 4:25 a.m.
Wanted to give 3 stars but I think maybe it's a "me" issue? The texture with the corn starch was very off-putting in the finished dish. Accidentally used non-vegan butter though so I'm wondering if the fats or dairy in that just didn't mix well? The starch didn't dissolve much in the water to begin with and then the sauce thickened up so quickly it was kind of a congealed mess once mixed with everything 😅. The flavors were SO good though! Will have to give this a try if the PUL team or any other users have any advice!
PUL Team - July 31, 2024, 4:45 a.m.
Hey Reid, thanks for sharing your experience with the recipe. The texture issue might be due to the cornstarch not dissolving properly. Was the heat on the pan when you added the cornstarch? If so, that could have impacted the texture. If you give the recipe another try, make sure to dissolve the cornstarch in cold water before heating it up, that helps prevent clumps. It also sounds like maybe the amount of cornstarch added was a bit too much, try adding a bit less if you decide to give the recipe another go. I hope this helps! 🫶✨
Reid Wegrecki - Aug. 5, 2024, 10:18 p.m.
Thank you!!
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Andromahi - July 13, 2024, 11:49 p.m.
🥹 I never thought i’d get to have carbonara again!
Reply
Kim Tee - June 6, 2024, 9:49 a.m.
Just made this for one vegan, one vegetarian, and one omni who recently had Carbonara in Italy. All cleared their plates and marveled at this uniquely delicious dish.
Reply
Sofia - May 27, 2024, 10:25 p.m.
I had been wanting to try this for a while and it didn’t disappoint, it was delicious! The tofu didn’t turn out as crispy and dark as the image suggests, so next time I might try to spread the pieces out more on the tray and cook it at a higher temperature.
Reply
Gesa von Hirschheydt - May 17, 2024, 9:52 a.m.
Super easy recipe to follow (I bought the smoked tofu though) and the sauce is surprisingly similar to non-vegan carbonara, both in texture and flavour! Great recipe to surprise (and convince) doubtful Italian friends 😉😄
Reply
Niraek Jain-sharma - May 15, 2024, 5:21 a.m.
The tofu part was great but unfortunately the pasta part wasn’t very flavorful
PUL Team - May 15, 2024, 8:36 p.m.
Hey Niraek, I'm really sorry to hear the pasta didn't meet your expectations—we always strive for 5-star recipes. If you're up for giving it another try, a quick tip: the 'eggy' flavour from the kala namak tends to diminish during cooking, so sprinkling a little extra on top after plating really helps to boost the flavour. We're glad to hear you enjoyed the tofu though!
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Timo Bongartz - May 11, 2024, 4:42 p.m.
Easy and great taste!
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TR - May 11, 2024, 11:23 a.m.
loooooooooved it! will be making it again!
Reply
Dilys - May 6, 2024, 10:47 a.m.
I wanted to skip the tofu part so I bought fake bacon instead. Now I think the tofu part must have been important, because the smell of the sauce on its own actually put me off. My husband didn’t love this dish either.
PUL Team - May 7, 2024, 12:48 a.m.
Hey Dilys! The smoked tofu is milder in taste and aroma than mock bacon so we'd recommend sticking with it if possible. We hope you enjoy the recipe more if you try it with the tofu as written 🫶✨
Reply
Anne - May 2, 2024, 12:24 a.m.
This was quite good! I didn't have dark soy sauce so increased the amount of regular soy sauce. Is it worth tracking down dark soy sauce for the future (yes, I'll be making this again!)? Also, I increased the amount of vegan parmesan on top. I have missed having carbonara in my life! I find most other vegan white sauced based pasta recipes do not quite live up to my memories of non-vegan versions. This one was different and in a very good way. Thank you!
PUL Team - May 3, 2024, 12:09 a.m.
We're glad you enjoyed the recipe, Anne! Dark soy sauce has a richer, more complex flavour, so it's worth trying if you can find it - we love the extra depth to dishes it adds. Happy experimenting! 😃
Anne - May 3, 2024, 3:28 p.m.
Thanks for the reply, I'll try to find it at the Asian market here. Also, I had the leftovers with broccoli, also very good!
Reply
Alex - May 1, 2024, 7:27 a.m.
The sauce in this dish is spot on! I really couldn’t tell that it was plant-based. I, however, didn’t particularly love the addition of the tofu. Despite its crunchy exterior, its soft interior gets lost in the texture of the spaghetti. Maybe slicing the tofu into thinner pieces would make it crunchier and complement the dish better.
Reply
Jenny - April 28, 2024, 6:58 p.m.
My husband and I really enjoyed this dish. He usually only wants red sauce pastas but he said he would happily eat this again 😊
PUL Team - April 29, 2024, 1:17 a.m.
Yayy how exciting! Thanks, Jenny 🙌✨
Reply
Terhi Stratton - April 27, 2024, 7:15 p.m.
Delicious and easy to make! 😋
Reply
merle - April 19, 2024, 8:41 p.m.
Amazing! Really Restaurant-like👌
Reply
Tiana Bogaert - April 18, 2024, 10:31 a.m.
I have made this recipe twice and it’s so good! This marinade has become my go to for tofu. I marinated some tofu, pan fried, and put it on a sandwich. 😋
Reply
Charlotte - April 18, 2024, 12:12 a.m.
This was absolutely divine! It's going on my list of favourite pasta recipes to make again (all of which are PUL may I say! 😆).
PUL Team - April 19, 2024, 6:08 a.m.
Hehe aww we're so honoured, Charlotte! Thanks for being the best cheerleader 🫶✨
Reply
Marti - April 15, 2024, 8:46 p.m.
As a true Roman i can only say this was delicious!
PUL Team - April 16, 2024, 10:27 p.m.
This is a huge compliment, Marti! So happy to hear the carbonara was enjoyed 🤩
Reply
laura - April 14, 2024, 1:56 p.m.
REALLY really yummy!
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Meggie - April 11, 2024, 8:26 p.m.
First time I ever used nutritional yeast, Kala Namak and Liquid Smoke. It all comes together so well and tastes absolutely divine 🤍
PUL Team - April 11, 2024, 11:05 p.m.
Yayy they work wonders together 🥰 so glad that the carbonara was enjoyed, Meggie!
Reply
Lilly Benedikt - April 8, 2024, 8:50 p.m.
I was sceptical at first but this was amazing! I roasted the tofu in the pan because I didn’t feel like heating up the oven. It was still great ☺️. I also didn’t know how easy it is to make your own vegan Parmesan!
PUL Team - April 9, 2024, 12:12 a.m.
So happy to hear the carbonara was a pleasant surprise, Lilly! A lovely idea to modify the tofu to what worked for you too 🙌
Reply
eleni skiada - April 7, 2024, 12:41 p.m.
Really nice. Made it for my mum who is fasting this period, nice twist! We don't eat tofu so I added sun dried tomatoes instead. 😊 Thanks for the idea!
Reply
Caitlin Higgins - April 4, 2024, 2:14 a.m.
Seriously good. It really gives the feeling of a carbonara. Mine was a bit too salty but I think that was my bad as I don't have kosher salt. Otherwise perfect.
Reply
imogen - April 3, 2024, 11:25 a.m.
New fave pasta recipe for sure!
Reply
Ashton - April 3, 2024, 10:22 a.m.
Question! Maple syrup is quite expensive here.. any suggestions for replacements?
PUL Team - April 3, 2024, 5:12 p.m.
Hi Ashton, you can swap maple syrup with agave syrup or a touch of brown or white sugar. Thanks for asking the question, we've updated the recipe to include these swap options :) We hope you enjoy the carbonara!
Reply
Alex - April 2, 2024, 11:58 p.m.
My non-vegan boyfriend and I love it! He loves Italian cuisine and has tried different versions of vegan carbonara for me (❤️). This one is a recipe that we'll definitely make again! Thank you
PUL Team - April 3, 2024, 12:07 a.m.
Aw Italian cuisine is so satisfying 🥰 so glad that you both enjoyed the pasta, Alex!
Reply
Tarzan - April 2, 2024, 2:13 a.m.
This pasta was amazing! I served it to my family of non-vegans and they loved it and asked me to make it again. I used smoked pepper corns to garnish which added to the smokiness of the tofu. Thank you!
PUL Team - April 2, 2024, 7:49 p.m.
It's always a big compliment when others ask for a recipe to be made again 🥰 we're so happy that the carbonara was enjoyed, Tarzan!
Reply
AK - April 1, 2024, 1:18 a.m.
this was *unfathomably* good—this is going in our regular rotation
Reply
crystel - March 30, 2024, 6:43 p.m.
DELICIOUS!!
Reply
Eve - March 30, 2024, 4:01 a.m.
As soon as I saw the new PIL video I knew I had to make this! It was incredible, and don’t skip the Parmesan! We loved the bacony bits so much. Will definitely make again!!
PUL Team - March 31, 2024, 6:04 a.m.
Yay we're so happy to hear you enjoyed the carbonara, Eve!
Reply
Tiana - March 29, 2024, 7:35 p.m.
Super tasty! I skipped the liquid smoke because it was the only ingredient I didn’t already have at home but I’ll try it next time. I also didn’t have fresh cracked pepper so I used ground pepper instead. I subbed one to one and it was a little bit too peppery, so if anyone reading this is in the same boat, start with less and you can add more as needed.
PUL Team - March 30, 2024, 1:19 a.m.
Hey there, Tiana, we're so glad that you enjoyed the recipe and thanks for the tip! Love when the stars align and we have many ingredients on hand already 😊
Reply
Anna - March 29, 2024, 7:02 p.m.
As an Italian, thank you! It's hard to come across vegan versions of classics and this was delicious!
PUL Team - March 30, 2024, 1:13 a.m.
So glad you enjoyed the vegan carbonara, Anna! It means a lot 😊
Discussion & Rating
The dish is ok, the sauce and tofu go well together; however it didn't give carbonara vibes because of the tofu flavorings. I was a bit disappointed. The recipe is not bad, but not carbonara!
Amazing!
So delicious! The sauce honestly doesn’t have much flavor alone, so the smoked tofu is essential. My husband and I both agreed the photos of the tofu were way too blackened, so we only did 20 minutes and were very happy at the slight char they had at that point. The only thing I would change in the future is half the amount of turmeric powder as it was too yellow instead of the light or pale yellow we were wanting and increase the amount of salt. I’d happily make this one again!
Wanted to give 3 stars but I think maybe it's a "me" issue? The texture with the corn starch was very off-putting in the finished dish. Accidentally used non-vegan butter though so I'm wondering if the fats or dairy in that just didn't mix well? The starch didn't dissolve much in the water to begin with and then the sauce thickened up so quickly it was kind of a congealed mess once mixed with everything 😅. The flavors were SO good though! Will have to give this a try if the PUL team or any other users have any advice!
🥹 I never thought i’d get to have carbonara again!
Just made this for one vegan, one vegetarian, and one omni who recently had Carbonara in Italy. All cleared their plates and marveled at this uniquely delicious dish.
I had been wanting to try this for a while and it didn’t disappoint, it was delicious! The tofu didn’t turn out as crispy and dark as the image suggests, so next time I might try to spread the pieces out more on the tray and cook it at a higher temperature.
Super easy recipe to follow (I bought the smoked tofu though) and the sauce is surprisingly similar to non-vegan carbonara, both in texture and flavour! Great recipe to surprise (and convince) doubtful Italian friends 😉😄
The tofu part was great but unfortunately the pasta part wasn’t very flavorful
Easy and great taste!
loooooooooved it! will be making it again!
I wanted to skip the tofu part so I bought fake bacon instead. Now I think the tofu part must have been important, because the smell of the sauce on its own actually put me off. My husband didn’t love this dish either.
This was quite good! I didn't have dark soy sauce so increased the amount of regular soy sauce. Is it worth tracking down dark soy sauce for the future (yes, I'll be making this again!)? Also, I increased the amount of vegan parmesan on top. I have missed having carbonara in my life! I find most other vegan white sauced based pasta recipes do not quite live up to my memories of non-vegan versions. This one was different and in a very good way. Thank you!
The sauce in this dish is spot on! I really couldn’t tell that it was plant-based. I, however, didn’t particularly love the addition of the tofu. Despite its crunchy exterior, its soft interior gets lost in the texture of the spaghetti. Maybe slicing the tofu into thinner pieces would make it crunchier and complement the dish better.
My husband and I really enjoyed this dish. He usually only wants red sauce pastas but he said he would happily eat this again 😊
Delicious and easy to make! 😋
Amazing! Really Restaurant-like👌
I have made this recipe twice and it’s so good! This marinade has become my go to for tofu. I marinated some tofu, pan fried, and put it on a sandwich. 😋
This was absolutely divine! It's going on my list of favourite pasta recipes to make again (all of which are PUL may I say! 😆).
As a true Roman i can only say this was delicious!
REALLY really yummy!
First time I ever used nutritional yeast, Kala Namak and Liquid Smoke. It all comes together so well and tastes absolutely divine 🤍
I was sceptical at first but this was amazing! I roasted the tofu in the pan because I didn’t feel like heating up the oven. It was still great ☺️. I also didn’t know how easy it is to make your own vegan Parmesan!
Really nice. Made it for my mum who is fasting this period, nice twist! We don't eat tofu so I added sun dried tomatoes instead. 😊 Thanks for the idea!
Seriously good. It really gives the feeling of a carbonara. Mine was a bit too salty but I think that was my bad as I don't have kosher salt. Otherwise perfect.
New fave pasta recipe for sure!
Question! Maple syrup is quite expensive here.. any suggestions for replacements?
My non-vegan boyfriend and I love it! He loves Italian cuisine and has tried different versions of vegan carbonara for me (❤️). This one is a recipe that we'll definitely make again! Thank you
This pasta was amazing! I served it to my family of non-vegans and they loved it and asked me to make it again. I used smoked pepper corns to garnish which added to the smokiness of the tofu. Thank you!
this was *unfathomably* good—this is going in our regular rotation
DELICIOUS!!
As soon as I saw the new PIL video I knew I had to make this! It was incredible, and don’t skip the Parmesan! We loved the bacony bits so much. Will definitely make again!!
Super tasty! I skipped the liquid smoke because it was the only ingredient I didn’t already have at home but I’ll try it next time. I also didn’t have fresh cracked pepper so I used ground pepper instead. I subbed one to one and it was a little bit too peppery, so if anyone reading this is in the same boat, start with less and you can add more as needed.
As an Italian, thank you! It's hard to come across vegan versions of classics and this was delicious!