Eggless Spaghetti Carbonara
Carbonara is one of those dishes that feels almost impossible to recreate without eggs — the silky, clinging sauce is the whole point, and it's traditionally built entirely around yolks. This version cracks the code by blending silken tofu with nutritional yeast, white miso paste, and olive oil into a sauce that turns genuinely glossy and creamy once it hits the hot pasta and rendered pancetta fat. The miso adds that subtle savory depth you'd otherwise miss, and the nutritional yeast brings a nutty, almost cheesy richness that makes the whole thing feel indulgent rather than like a workaround. Crispy pancetta and smashed garlic do the heavy lifting on flavor, so by the time you're tossing everything together with splashes of starchy pasta water, the result coats every strand beautifully. A generous finish of finely grated Pecorino Romano pulls it all together with sharp, salty punch. It serves four and comes together in roughly the time it takes to boil the pasta, making it a genuinely weeknight-friendly dinner that doesn't feel like a compromise.
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Learn more →Ingredients
4 servings
- 12 oz spaghetti
- 1 tbsp kosher salt
- 6 oz pancetta or guanciale, cut into small cubes
- 2 cloves garlic, smashed and peeled
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper, plus more for serving
For the sauce
- 1 package (12 oz) silken tofu, drained
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp white miso paste
- ½ tsp kosher salt
For serving
- ½ cup finely grated pecorino romano, plus more for serving
- 2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped (optional)
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add 1 tbsp kosher salt, then cook the spaghetti until al dente — tender with a slight resistance at the center — according to package directions, usually 9–11 minutes. Before draining, scoop out 1 cup of pasta cooking water and set it aside. Drain the pasta in a colander.
- 2
While the pasta cooks, combine the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, olive oil, white miso paste, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt in a blender. Blend on high until completely smooth and creamy, about 60 seconds. Set aside.
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