Tempeh Bacon Carbonara

By Alexandra Caspero on February 8, 2015

Tempeh Bacon Vegan Carbonara! Creamy cauliflower sauce with whole wheat pasta and homemade tempeh bacon! A healthy, low-fat recipe that tastes like the creamiest pasta you’ve ever had! 

OK, before I get into the amazingness of this creamy, isthisreallife? pasta, I have to tell you….

We made a video! Another “t” crossed on the blogger checklist. I mean, don’t get me wrong, we’ve made videos before, but that was back in the day when I was still using my phone as a camera so just use your imagination for how those turned out.

It was so fun pretending that BL and I had any knowledge about production, microphones, or how to shoot a cooking video, but we did it and had a blast! You can check it out at the bottom of this post. But first, some photos of my new favorite pasta.

Note to self: Always have a plate of the food you are blogging about in front of you when sitting down to write!Tempeh Bacon Carbonara! Creamy Cauliflower Sauce With Whole Wheat Pasta And Homemade Tempeh Bacon! Such A Healthy, Low-Fat Recipe That Taste Like The Creamiest Pasta You'Ve Ever Had! Vegan | Www.delishknowledge.com

Vegan Carbonara with Tempeh Bacon

I don’t even know where to start with this one… the crispy tempeh bacon crumbles, the creamy low-fat sauce, how it just comes together perfectly and leaves you wanting to make this dish every night for a week straight?

We’ll start with bacon. Veggie friends, can we talk for a moment about how weird America’s obsession with bacon has become? Is it just me or do you feel like everywhere you turn someone is trying to put bacon where it doesn’t belong? I’ve seen bacon microwave cups, bacon brownies, and Sacramento restaurants even feature a Bacon Week every winter. What the what? I honestly don’t get it. While I haven’t eaten real bacon in eons, when I did, I don’t remember the full-on pandemonium that seems to accompany it now.

So veggie or not, we are starting this vegan carbonara pasta with tempeh bacon. If you haven’t had tempeh bacon before, prepare for your mind to be blown! Not only is it packed with healthy protein, it also doesn’t contain the cholesterol or saturated fat of traditional bacon, which is a win-win even if you aren’t vegetarian.
Tempeh Bacon Carbonara! Creamy Cauliflower Sauce With Whole Wheat Pasta And Homemade Tempeh Bacon! Such A Healthy, Low-Fat Recipe That Taste Like The Creamiest Pasta You'Ve Ever Had! Vegan | Www.delishknowledge.com

To mimic the bacon flavor, we liberally marinade the tempeh clusters in soy sauce, maple syrup, cumin and balsamic vinegar. The steamed tempeh then soaks up every last drop of flavors only to be lightly fried in a pan later.  Now, tempeh bacon obsession is something I can totally get behind. Tempeh Bacon Carbonara! Creamy Cauliflower Sauce With Whole Wheat Pasta And Homemade Tempeh Bacon! Such A Healthy, Low-Fat Recipe That Taste Like The Creamiest Pasta You'Ve Ever Had! Vegan | Www.delishknowledge.com

Since I wanted to go for a carbonara-like pasta, I knew I needed a creamy base to hold the bacon clusters and pasta together. While I tend to favor my heavier, richer cashew-based sauces, I needed a little break.

Cauliflower to the rescue, again! I initially made this video to show everyone how to create a thick, luxurious sauce using cauliflower! Steamed cauliflower, some almond milk and a few spices completely transform the vegetable into a versatile sauce that is just perfect in this carbonara dish. Even though it’s low fat, it doesn’t taste that way. Aha! Magic. Tempeh Bacon Carbonara! Creamy Cauliflower Sauce With Whole Wheat Pasta And Homemade Tempeh Bacon! Such A Healthy, Low-Fat Recipe That Taste Like The Creamiest Pasta You'Ve Ever Had! Vegan | Www.delishknowledge.com

To my gluten-free friends, you can make this dish, too! Just swap in your favorite gluten-free pasta and you are good to go. I have been loving Trader Joe’s brown rice & quinoa linguine and think that would make the perfect swap here.

Cook the pasta, toss with the vegan carbonara sauce and add the tempeh bacon! I also like to add a generous garnish of fresh parsley as it helps to cut through some of the richness of both the sauce and the tempeh bacon.

Let’s get a few more close-ups and then it’s show time, um, video time! If you liked it, I would love for you to subscribe to my new youtube channel. Enjoy!
Tempeh Bacon Carbonara! Creamy Cauliflower Sauce With Whole Wheat Pasta And Homemade Tempeh Bacon! Such A Healthy, Low-Fat Recipe That Taste Like The Creamiest Pasta You'Ve Ever Had! Vegan | Www.delishknowledge.com Tempeh Bacon Carbonara! Creamy Cauliflower Sauce With Whole Wheat Pasta And Homemade Tempeh Bacon! Such A Healthy, Low-Fat Recipe That Taste Like The Creamiest Pasta You'Ve Ever Had! Vegan | Www.delishknowledge.com

If you try this vegan carbonara, let me know! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag your Instagram photos with #delishknowledge . I absolutely love seeing your creations. Happy cooking! 

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Tempeh Bacon Carbonara! Creamy Cauliflower Sauce With Whole Wheat Pasta And Homemade Tempeh Bacon! Such A Healthy, Low-Fat Recipe That Taste Like The Creamiest Pasta You'Ve Ever Had! Vegan | Www.delishknowledge.com

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Tempeh Bacon Carbonara! Creamy Cauliflower Sauce With Whole Wheat Pasta And Homemade Tempeh Bacon! Such A Healthy, Low-Fat Recipe That Taste Like The Creamiest Pasta You'Ve Ever Had! Vegan | Www.delishknowledge.com

Vegan Carbonara with Tempeh Bacon

  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 large servings, 6 normal size servings 1x
  • Category: pasta, entree, dinner, main

Description

Tempeh Bacon Vegan Carbonara! Creamy cauliflower sauce with whole wheat pasta and homemade tempeh bacon! Such a healthy, low-fat recipe that taste like the creamiest pasta you’ve ever had!


  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 large servings, 6 normal size servings 1x
  • Category: pasta, entree, dinner, main
  • Author: Alex Caspero
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 30 minutes
  • Yield: 4 large servings, 6 normal size servings 1x
  • Category: pasta, entree, dinner, main
Scale

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. tempeh
  • 3 tbsp. soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp. maple syrup
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided
  • 1 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar
  • 1/2 tsp. cumin
  • 1 head cauliflower, chopped
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened milk
  • 2 tbsp. nutritional yeast
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp. onion powder
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 lb. whole wheat pasta
  • fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish, optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the tempeh in a steamer basket and steam for 10 minutes until soft. Remove from basket and crumble into a bowl. Add soy sauce, maple syrup, 1 tbsp. olive oil, 1 1/2 tsp. balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp. cumin. Marinade while you prepare the cauliflower.
  2. Chop the cauliflower and place in a steamer basket. Cook for 10 minutes until cauliflower is soft.
  3. Place cauliflower in a blender along with the remaining tbsp. olive oil, garlic, milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, onion powder and garlic powder. Blend until silky and smooth, about 3-4 minutes.
  4. Heat a large non-stick skillet on medium heat. Add the marinated tempeh and cook until crispy and golden, about 10 minutes.
  5. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta. Cook until al dente.
  6. Add the cauliflower sauce to the whole wheat pasta (you may not need all of it, start with a cup or two and toss, add more if you’d like). Add the tempeh bacon and toss again.
  7. Garnish with fresh parsley.

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Meet Alex Caspero

Alex Caspero is a Registered Dietitian, New York Times Bestselling Chef, and mom of two. She aims to cut through the nutrition noise by providing real-life, nourishing tips for body and mind. Learn more about Alex.

(14 comments) leave a comment

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    1. Diana
      August 5, 2021 AT 7:30 pm

      We are relatively new to eating a plant-based diet, so I was super excited to try this recipe out – especially given that bacon carbonara is a favourite of mine… this was not bacon carbonara. Kudos to you for trying, and I really loved the idea of using cauliflower to make a creamy sauce (yay you – I may incorporate that in other meals I try!), but it wasn’t even remotely close to its namesake. We found it very bland, and not at all like the real thing. Maybe call it something else? Not a terrible meal, but so disappointingly unlike the dish I love.
      Keep on cooking and sharing! And sorry for the somewhat negative review. I usually wouldn’t, but for others out there like me, who are making healthy changes and transitioning over to a more sustainable diet, I kind of felt I had to give you (and them) some honest feedback. Kind regards. ‍

    2. Confessions of A Mother Runner
      February 17, 2015 AT 11:37 am

      ooh I almost missed this one. i love my tempeh this looks fab!

    3. Amy @ Amy’s Healthy Baking
      February 15, 2015 AT 5:40 pm

      Aww you’re super cute! LOVE the video Alex!! And now I’m dying to try both the tempeh bacon and cauliflower sauce… How long until I can eat cauli again?? 😉 Pinned!

    4. genevieve @ gratitude and gree
      February 14, 2015 AT 3:10 pm

      Okay, your paragraph about America’s fascination with bacon? It’s like YOU READ MY MIND!!! Seriously, I can understand that bacon is good, but I think bacon is overrated. I liked bacon in my pre-veggie days, but not to the extent that I would add it to everything. Have you seen that alarm clock where you can put bacon in, and in the morning, it starts to cook it so you wake up to the smell of bacon? Yep, that exists. On another note, this pasta looks absolutely delicious! I love that you used cauliflower in the sauce!

    5. Min
      February 11, 2015 AT 8:26 pm

      Wow! You are a natural in front of the camera! I really enjoyed watching you do your thing ;). I’ve never had tempeh bacon and now you def have been intrigued. And yes, cauliflower has been coming to my rescue quite often lately as well

    6. Kara Lydon
      February 10, 2015 AT 7:55 pm

      Yay, you tube!! I loved the video! You Tube is one of my goals for 2015 but the idea of shooting videos feels totally daunting right now. But you make it look so easy! Thanks for the inspiration, friend! Looking fwd to seeing more videos from you. 🙂

      1. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        February 11, 2015 AT 7:33 pm

        Ha you are welcome! It was more fun that I thought it was going to be and I’m excited to do more- can’t wait to see yours this year! Thanks for the comment.

    7. Jessica DeGore RD
      February 10, 2015 AT 8:09 am

      Loved your originial cauliflower sauce recipe and carbonara is basically my fav pasta dish ever so I am trying this one asap! The video looks great 🙂

      1. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        February 11, 2015 AT 7:34 pm

        Awesome! I know me too, while it doesn’t taste exactly like the real thing, it’s still a kick ass pasta dish in my book! 🙂

    8. Elizabeth A. RDN
      February 9, 2015 AT 5:00 pm

      This pasta looks dreamy and your video is awesome – so professional! Love this healthy version of such a rich, comfort food!

      1. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        February 11, 2015 AT 7:34 pm

        Aw, thanks Elizabeth!

    9. Dana | fresh simple five
      February 9, 2015 AT 10:14 am

      Love your video – it’s awesome!! I noticed cauliflower on sale at the grocery store yesterday and almost grabbed one, but wasn’t sure what I’d do with it other than roast it This recipe seems like a much better option. 🙂

      1. Alex @ DelishKnowledge
        February 11, 2015 AT 7:35 pm

        Cauliflower Sauce is one of those things that once you start… it’s hard to stop! I love it on just about everything 🙂

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