I am obsessed with making the perfect vegan carbonara. This southern version may have brought that obsession to an end. The sauce does an amazing job of mimicking the egg and cheese sauce that is traditional in a carbonara. The shiitake “bacon” provides the salty and sweet component while the collard greens take the dish to the next level. Time for me to retire as the self-appointed vegan carbonara tester—this is the recipe.
Vegan Collard Green Carbonara
Servings: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 8 oz 240 g firm tofu
- 1/2 cup 120 ml vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp 30 ml dill pickle juice
- 1/4 cup 15 g nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp salt - plus more as necessary
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- 1 lb 450 g linguine, fettuccine or spaghetti
- 2 tbsp 30 ml olive oil
- 4 oz 120 g shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp 30 ml liquid aminos or soy sauce
- 1 tbsp 15 ml liquid smoke
- 1 tbsp 15 ml pure maple syrup
- 3 cups 108 g finely chopped collard greens
- Black pepper - to taste
- Vegan Parmesan - as needed (optional)
Instructions
- Squeeze the tofu with your hands, removing as much moisture as you can. Add the tofu to a blender. Add the broth, pickle juice, nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, salt and red pepper flakes. Blend on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce is completely smooth. Set the sauce aside.
- Cook the pasta according to package directions.
- Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté, reducing the heat as needed to prevent burning, for about 10 minutes, or until the mushrooms are starting to brown.
- Add the liquid aminos, liquid smoke and maple syrup. Toss to coat the mushrooms.
- Add the collard greens and toss to combine them with the mushrooms and seasonings. Sauté for about 10 minutes, or until the collard greens are tender. Season them with the salt and black pepper.
- When the pasta is done, drain it and reserve the pasta water. Add the pasta to the skillet. Toss to combine the pasta with the mushrooms and collard greens.
- Pour the sauce and 1⁄4 cup (60 ml) of the reserved pasta water over the pasta. Toss to coat all of the pasta in the sauce. Add a little more pasta water if needed. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
- Serve the carbonara topped with the Parmesan (if using).
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Southern Vegan by Lauren Hartmann, Page Street Publishing Co. 2020. Photo credit: Lauren Hartmann and Julie Grace.
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Great recipe! I used kale instead of collard green and it was delicious.