Gnocchi and carbonara are a perfect match as this creamy Gnocchi Carbonara will prove! The creamy sauce is made to a vegan recipe - without egg yolks or parmesan cheese - but it's still ultra creamy and tastes perfectly eggy, just like the original.
Tofu bacon pieces add a delicious salty flavor and crispy texture to the dish the works beautifully alongside the soft and fluffy gnocchi!
This creamy carbonara sauce is inspired by the flavor and texture of Italian authentic carbonara sauce - creating a perfectly good carbonara without eggs.
This recipe is a vegan fusion of potato gnocchi and carbonara - simply a match made in heaven!
It's quick and easy to make. All you need is a large skillet and you can create this delicious Gnocchi Carbonara in a matter of minutes.
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Ingredients
Here's everything you need for this recipe:
- oil - I like to use olive oil.
- shallots - You can use onion, but I love the sweet, mild flavor of shallots more when it comes to carbonara sauce, so I can only recommend using them!
- garlic - I love a garlic flavor in all my pasta sauces! If garlic is not your thing, then simply skip it. For the full flavor it's best to use fresh garlic clove and finely grate it or crush it.
- white miso paste - The white miso paste in this recipe adds a subtle cheesiness and umami notes to the sauce, which is simply perfect in combination with nutritional yeast.
- nutritional yeast - Nutritional yeast is non-active yeast and it has a naturally nutty and cheesy flavor. It works a treat in this sauce and is perfect t in combination with the miso paste to replace the hard cheese or pecorino romano cheese that is used in traditional carbonara.
- chickpea flour - chickpea flour helps replace the eggy texture in this carbonara sauce, making the sauce eggy, creamy and thick at the same time.
- black salt (Kala Namak) - black salt adds an eggy flavor to the sauce, and replaces the egg flavor in traditional Italian Carbonara. You can find it in most health food stores or on Amazon. A little can go a long way and it's a great addition for making vegan dishes get that egg-like flavor.
- dairy-free cream - cream does not belong in any traditional, Italian Carbonara recipe, but hear me out: if this recipe wasn't vegan, it totally wouldn't list cream here. In this Vegan Carbonara sauce, however, the vegan cream replaces the creaminess of the egg and it's vital for the thick and creamy texture of our sauce. You could replace it with silken tofu or simply plant milk, I however definitely prefer the texture and flavour of vegan cream. I usually use Elmlea Vegan Double Cream.
- black pepper - as little or as much as you like
- fresh parsley - A delicious final garnish!
- smoked tofu - I like to fry my smoked tofu to replace the traditional pancetta pieces.
- tamari - tamari soya sauce adds a salty and sweet flavor to our tofu 'bacon'. By adding it into the hot skillet it lightly caramelizes and is simply the perfect addition to the smoked tofu.
See the recipe card at the end of the post for full quantities.
Equipment
Here's everything you need for this recipe:
- 1 large skillet
- 1 large saucepan to cook the gnocchi
- 1 sieve to drain the gnocchi
Instructions (Step-by-Step)
You can make this Gnocchi Carbonara in just a few simple steps!
Preparation
Prepare the gnocchi
Prepare the gnocchi according to the packaging instructions. Whilst your gnocchi are cooking, you can prepare the smoked tofu bites and the carbonara sauce.
Prepare the smoked tofu bacon bits
Finely dice the smoked tofu into small cubes. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and once hot, add the tofu. Fry on medium heat, stirring regularly until the tofu pieces are crispy (10-12 minutes).
Drizzle in the tamari and stir coat the tofu pieces. Remove the skillet from the heat after 1-2 minutes or once the tamari has lightly caramelized. Set aside in a small bowl until ready to serve.
How to make vegan carbonara sauce
Heat the remaining olive oil, and sauté the shallots for 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle with salt to speed up the process.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant.
Add miso paste, chickpea flour and nutritional yeast and stir to coat.
Pour in cream and stir to mix.
Heat the sauce for for 1-2 minutes and stir regularly until the sauce thickens.
Add the cooked and drained gnocchi Adjust the texture of the sauce to your preference by adding small amounts of pasta water.
Stir to mix everything.
Sprinkle in the tofu bacon.
Serving
To serve, simply transfer the sauce coated gnocchi onto pasta bowls and sprinkle with the smoked tofu bacon bits.
Garnish with fresh parsley, vegan parmesan and you're ready to enjoy!
Storage
Store the Gnocchi Carbonara in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
Substitutions
In case you don't have everything to hand, here a few ideas and notes for possible substitutions:
- smoked tofu - if you have some store-bought vegan bacon pieces to hand you can easily use those instead.
- fresh or dried herbs - In traditional Carbonara, no herbs are added to the sauce, but you can add some fresh or dried sage, basil, rosemary or thyme to the sauce for extra flavor.
- vegetables - vegetables can be a delicious addition to this Gnocchi Carbonara recipe! Traditional Carbonara does not include added vegetables, but they can be a delicious addition.
- flavor - To adjust the flavor of the sauce to your personal preference, here are a few ideas of ingredients you could add: mustard, smoked paprika powder, lemon juice, or more nutritional yeast.
- vegan cream - Instead of dairy-free cream you can also use plant milk or silken tofu in this recipe. However, personally, I definitely prefer the flavor and texture that you get from vegan cream.
Frequently Asked Questions
For vegan and vegetarian Carbonara, smoked tofu is the best replacement for bacon or pancetta. Simply cut the smoked tofu into small cubes, then fry them in a little oil until crispy. Pour a little tamari sauce into the hot skillet and let it caramelize for 1 minute before removing from the heat. the hot skillet. Perfectly crunchy, chewy, sweet, smokey and salty all at the same time.
In this vegan Gnocchi Carbonara recipe, I'm using a mix of chickpea flour, kala namak (black salt) and dairy-free cream to re-create the flavor and texture of eggs from traditional Carbonara.
Traditional Carbonara does not use any cream. The creaminess in the pasta dish is simply created with egg and the traditional cooking technique of this delicious pasta.
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Gnocchi Carbonara
Equipment
- 1 large skillet
- 1 large saucepan
- 1 pasta sieve
Ingredients
- 17 oz gnocchi (500 g) vegan-friendly
For the carbonara sauce:
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 shallots finely sliced
- 1 pinch salt
- 3 garlic cloves grated
- 1 tsp white miso paste
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 3 tbsp chickpea flour gram flour
- 1 pinch black salt kala namak
- 1 cup dairy-free cream (250 ml)
- black pepper to taste
- parsley to garnish fresh or dried
For the tofu bacon:
- 7 oz smoked tofu (180 g) finely diced
- 1 tbsp olie oil
- 1 tbsp tamari soya sauce
Instructions
- Cook the gnocchi according to the packaging instructions, then drain them and reserve a cup of the water.
- Cut the tofu into tiny cubes. Heat the olive oil in a skillet and fry the tofu until crispy. Drizzle with tamari and remove from the heat once caramelized. Set aside.
- Heat the rest of the oil and sauté the shallots until soft. Sprinkle with salt and add garlic, then mix in miso paste, nutritional yeast, chickpea flour and black salt. Stir in the dairy-free cream and heat until the sauce thickens. Adjust the sauce texture by adding a little bit of the gnocchi water to your liking.
- Stir the cooked gnocchi into the sauce, then season to taste with pepper and garnish with parsley and sprinkle with the tofu bacon.
Notes
- Black Salt - For the ultimate Carbonara flavor, I really recommend not skipping on the black salt (kala namak). It creates the signature eggy taste of this dish and is also fantastic in a variety of other vegan egg recipes.
- smoked tofu - if you have some store-bought vegan bacon pieces to hand you can easily use those instead.
-
- flavor - To adjust the flavor of the sauce to your personal preference, here are a few ideas of ingredients you could add: mustard, smoked paprika powder, lemon juice, or more nutritional yeast.
- vegan cream - Instead of dairy-free cream you can also use plant milk or silken tofu in this recipe. However, personally, I definitely prefer the flavor and texture that you get from vegan cream.
- fresh or dried herbs - In traditional Carbonara, no herbs are added to the sauce, but you can add some fresh or dried sage, basil, rosemary or thyme to the sauce for extra flavor.
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Jordy
First recipe I tried from this side and it turned out so so delicious! Can't believe I never thought of making gnocchi carbonara before. What have I been missing out on! Thanks x