Creamy vegan pasta à la Carbonara

Yes, I was one of THOSE people, I would get into passionate fights with people who would not make Carbonara properly - with egg yolks. And you know what? I don't mind if you don't call these the "true" carbonara, it's worth much more than the unnecessary harm caused by the animal products. And this one is just exceptionally tasty!

You might have noticed, I am very much a pasta person. Pasta dishes are often quick to make and so satisfying! They are my go to especially after a long day at work when I don't want to spend the whole evening cooking. Just 10-15 mins and all is done! And Carbonara with it's creaminess, it's the perfect quick to make comfort food for me. Yes, you will work around the "traditional" ingredients but you can absolutely get the taste that you crave! Just follow my recipe and you will see :)

For 2 portions:

• 160g tagliatelle (or another long shaped pasta)

• 7 slices of vegan bacon, cut to dices

• 3 cloves of garlic

• 120g plant-based cream

• 2 tbsp nutritional yeast

• handful of frozen green peas (optional)

• olive oil

• salt, pepper

I have used the Belsoy Cuisine Soya cream, I am sure that you can find something similar that is available at your local markets. But to give you an idea, this is what it looks like. And for those, who are curious, this is the vegan bacon I used.

Put the salted pasta water to boil. Add your pasta and cook per instructions (the rest of my recipe happens in cca 8 minutes while the pasta is cooking)

Drizzle your pan with a generous amount of oil and put on medium high heat. As it's heating up, put in the whole cloves of garlic. As the oil is heating up, the garlic will infuse it - this is also why it's better to put the garlic there when the oil is still cold. You will not include the garlic in the meal (unless you want to decorate the plate with it which you absolutely can and it is tasty as well), it's just to give the taste to the oil. Also, make sure you don't burn it. As the garlic is golden from both sides, remove it from the pan and put in your vegan bacon and crispen it up in the pan, add then the peas to sauté them for a minute or two and then include the cream and nutritional yeast. Season with salt and pepper.

By this time, your pasta should be cooked. Use tongs to get the pasta from the pasta water to your sauce pan. Don't drain the pasta, you want the pasta water to come with the pasta to the sauce. In case the sauce gets a bit too thick or the pasta is too sticky with the sauce, just add a bit of the pasta water. Mix all well up and serve it. Bon appétit!