Creamy, smoky, and deeply satisfying, this pasta delivers everything you love about a classic carbonara without a single egg or dairy product in sight. The secret is a blended cashew sauce — soaked, drained, and whipped smooth with nutritional yeast, white miso paste, and a splash of apple cider vinegar — that turns genuinely silky and rich once it hits the warm noodles. Starchy pasta water is the other key move here, loosened in gradually until the sauce is glossy and clings to every strand of spaghetti. Meanwhile, vegan bacon crisped up in olive oil with smoked paprika brings that savory, slightly smoky punch that makes carbonara so craveable in the first place. The whole thing comes together in one skillet, and the sauce blends while the pasta boils, so the timing is surprisingly manageable for a weeknight. Finish each bowl with a heavy grind of black pepper and a shower of vegan parmesan if you have it — this one makes four generous servings and disappears fast.
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Place the cashews in a heatproof bowl and pour the boiling water over them. Let soak for 30 minutes, until the cashews are noticeably softened.
Drain the cashews, discarding the soaking water. Transfer to a blender along with 3/4 cup fresh water, the nutritional yeast, miso paste, apple cider vinegar, garlic powder, onion powder, fine salt, and black pepper. Blend on high for 60–90 seconds, until completely smooth and pourable — the sauce should coat a spoon with no visible graininess.
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