Cashew carbonara with shiitake bacon

This vegan take on carbonara makes 'bacon' out of mushrooms, while silken tofu and cashew nuts are the main ingredient for the creamy sauce.

• serves

  2

• prep

  20 minutes

• cook

  30 minutes

• difficulty

  Mid

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Nuts

episode • Paradise Kitchen Bali • 

travel • 

22m

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episode • Paradise Kitchen Bali • 

travel • 

22m

G

Ingredients

• 250 g rigatoni, or any other short pasta
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 70 g Portobello mushrooms, sliced
• 70 g button mushrooms, sliced
• ¼ cup finely chopped onion
• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
• 1 sprig thyme
• 50 ml white wine, verjuice or water
• ½ tsp mushroom powder or salt
• black salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• chopped parsley, to serve
• truffle oil, for drizzling (optional)

Shiitake bacon

• 100 g shiitake mushrooms, stalks discarded, caps thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp smoked paprika
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp maple syrup

Cashew cream

• 50 g raw cashews, soaked overnight
• 300 g silken tofu
• ½ tsp black salt
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
• 125 ml (½ cup) oat milk or any plant milk
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• ¼ tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp white miso paste

Standing time: overnight

You will need to begin this recipe 1 day ahead

 

Instructions

1. To make the shiitake bacon, preheat the oven to 200 ˚C. Place all the ingredients in a bowl and stir until well combined. Transfer to a baking paper lined baking tray and bake for 10 minutes, turning half way through or until golden and crisp. Remove from the oven and set aside.
2. Meanwhile, to make the cashew cream, place all the ingredients in a blender and process until smooth. 
3. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to the boil. Add the pasta and cook according to packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium high heat. Add the Portobello mushrooms and toss until golden to extract the umami flavour. Add the button mushrooms, onion, garlic and thyme and cook until softened. Add the wine and simmer for 30 seconds, then add the cashew cream and mushroom powder and season to taste. Simmer until reduced to a sauce consistency.
5. Add the cooked pasta to the pan and toss to coat with the cashew sauce. Divide between serving bowls, scatter with the shiitake bacon and parsley and drizzle with truffle oil, if using.

Experience Bali like the locals on Paradise Kitchen Bali with Lauren Camilleri.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Nuts

episode • Paradise Kitchen Bali • 

travel • 

22m

G

episode • Paradise Kitchen Bali • 

travel • 

22m

G