Vegetarian Carbonara Food

VEGETARIAN 'CARBONARA' WITH SPINACH

Vegetarian 'Carbonara' With Spinach image

This spinach-laden carbonara deviates from the standard by nixing two of its leading ingredients: custardy egg yolks, which create its silky texture, and cured meat, which delivers its salty punch. This egg-free version uses a combination of butter and starchy pasta cooking water to give the sauce body. A sprinkle of grated smoked Provolone or Gouda adds a bit of the earthy flavor that traditionally comes from guanciale or pancetta. The final coup? Adding greens: One entire pound of baby spinach may look like a gargantuan amount, but it wilts right into the pasta. Most importantly, don't be shy with the black pepper: It adds a necessary dose of spice and heat.

Provided by Kay Chun

Categories dinner, easy, quick, pastas, main course

Time 20m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onion
5 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 pound spaghetti
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound fresh baby spinach
Red-pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
3/4 cup grated Parmesan (2 1/2 ounces)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup grated smoked Provolone or Gouda (1 1/2 ounces)

Steps:

Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente. Reserve 2 cups cooking water and drain the pasta. Return the pasta and reserved cooking water to the pot and heat over low. Add the butter and onion-garlic mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until most of the liquid is absorbed and sauce is slightly thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach, season with salt, plenty of pepper and red-pepper flakes, if using, and stir until spinach is wilted. Stir in the Parmesan and lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
Divide the pasta among 4 bowls and top each with 2 tablespoons smoked cheese. Finish with more black pepper, if desired.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 719, UnsaturatedFat 14 grams, Carbohydrate 95 grams, Fat 26 grams, Fiber 7 grams, Protein 28 grams, SaturatedFat 10 grams, Sodium 746 milligrams, Sugar 6 grams, TransFat 0 grams

VEGAN CARBONARA

Vegan carbonara image

Mushrooms with smoky paprika replace of bacon in this plant-based take on an Italian classic, forming part of the vegan Healthy Diet Plan

Provided by Sara Buenfeld

Categories Dinner, Lunch

Time 40m

Number Of Ingredients 11

Ingredients

360g wholewheat spaghetti
85g unsalted cashew nuts
2 tsp bouillon powder
2 tsp English mustard powder
1 tsp olive oil
200g baby chestnut mushrooms, halved and thinly sliced
3 garlic cloves, 2 finely grated
1 tsp smoked paprika
2 courgettes (about 320g), peeled then grated
4 tsp nutritional yeast flakes, optional
320g spinach, half cooked each evening as a side dish

Steps:

Boil the spaghetti for 10 mins or following pack instructions until al dente, reserving a little of the water. Put the cashews, bouillon and mustard in a bowl, then pour over 350ml boiling water.
Heat the oil in a large non-stick pan. Add the mushrooms and grated garlic, and stir-fry over a high heat until the mushrooms are cooked and starting to crisp up. Take off the heat, stir in the paprika, then tip onto a plate and set aside.
Add the grated courgette to the pan and cook, stirring every now and then until softened. Meanwhile, whizz the soaked cashews, whole garlic clove and nutritional yeast flakes, if using, with a hand blender until completely smooth. Tip the mixture into the pan with the courgettes and briefly stir over the heat.
Add the spaghetti and toss in the cashew and courgette mixture until well coated, then toss through the smoky mushrooms. If following the Healthy Diet Plan, serve half with half the spinach on the side, and chill the rest for another day. Will keep for three days. Reheat in a covered pan with a dash of water, and cook the remaining spinach to serve on the side.

Nutrition Facts : Calories 499 calories, Fat 15 grams fat, SaturatedFat 3 grams saturated fat, Carbohydrate 63 grams carbohydrates, Sugar 3 grams sugar, Fiber 12 grams fiber, Protein 22 grams protein, Sodium 1.07 milligram of sodium