Carbonara Pasta Salad

This delightful creation takes inspiration from the viral recipe by @maxiskitchen, infusing it with vegan goodness that will leave your taste buds dancing with delight. A delightful combination of hearty farfalle pasta, crispy tempeh bacon, crunchy romaine, and sweet green peas, the salad is tossed in a creamy dressing to add a burst of freshness and creaminess to your palate. Whether you follow a vegan lifestyle or love exploring new recipes, this Carbonara Pasta Salad is perfect for you.

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Why You’ll Love Carbonara Pasta Salad Recipe:

Delicious Vegan Twist on Classic Carbonara Salad: This recipe offers a delightful plant-based alternative for those following vegan or with dietary restrictions.

Creamy and Refreshing: The hemp seed dressing in this Carbonara Pasta Salad adds a creamy and refreshing twist to each bite with a tangy flavor, making it a light and satisfying meal.

Versatile and Customizable: Swap tempeh for tofu and use hemp seeds in the dressing instead of cashews if you have nut allergies.

Perfect for Gatherings and Meal Prep: This salad is a fantastic option for gatherings, potlucks, or meal prepping.

Easy to make and Delicious: Quick to make and packed with flavor, can be enjoyed as a filling lunch or dinner option. You can confidently recreate this dish and impress your family and friends with your culinary skills.

Wholesome and Nutritious Ingredients: The Carbonara Pasta Salad combines nutritious ingredients like romaine hearts, green peas, and cashews/hemp seeds.

A Crowd-Pleaser: The vibrant colors, flavors, and textures in this Carbonara Pasta Salad are sure to impress your guests.

Make-ahead: Great for meal prep. If you’re storing it in the refrigerator, add more dressing before serving.

How to make Carbonara Pasta Salad

Let’s embark on a culinary adventure and discover the magic of this delectable dish!

Prepare Tempeh Bacon

Slice the tempeh into small pieces and marinate for a minimum of 5 minutes using soy sauce, maple syrup, liquid smoke, onion powder, garlic powder, smoked paprika, pepper, and olive oil. In a large skillet or frying pan, pan-fry the marinated tempeh bacon until crispy. Set aside.

Prepare Dressing

Next, prepare the dressing by blending ingredients, including hemp seeds, olive oil, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, garlic, red wine vinegar, soy milk, salt, and pepper, in a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.

Cook Pasta

Cook the farfalle pasta according to the package instructions. In the last 2 minutes of cooking, add the frozen green peas to the boiling pasta. Drain the pasta and peas, then rinse them under cold water to cool.

Assemble

Chop the romaine into bite-sized pieces and place them in a large mixing bowl. Add the cooked pasta, green peas, and crispy tempeh bacon.

Pour the creamy hemp seed dressing over the salad ingredients and toss gently to coat the dressing. Top it off with vegan parmesan. Enjoy!

Make Vegan Parmesan for Carbonara Pasta Garnish

For homemade vegan parmesan, you’ll need:

• 3/4 cup raw cashews or hemp seeds for NUT FREE
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 3/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder

Blend hemp seeds, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, and salt in a blender. Top your carbonara pasta salad to enhance the flavor.

Recipe Tips and Variations:

Use dry pasta: Farfalle pasta works great with creamy sauces; however, you can use pasta of your choice. Pick gluten-free pasta if you’re on a gluten-free diet. Also, remember to choose dry pasta as it will hold the sauce and will not become mushy.

Cook Pasta Al Dente: To achieve the perfect texture in your pasta salad, cook the farfalle pasta al dente, which means it should be cooked with some nice bite to it.

Rinse the Pasta: Rinse pasta under cold water after cooking to stop the cooking process.

Add Extra Veggies: While this recipe includes romaine hearts and green peas, you can add extra vegetables to enhance the salad’s flavor and nutritional profile. Consider incorporating cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumbers, shredded carrots, or roasted bell peppers for added color and crunch.

Customizable:  Change the dressing for a flavorful twist.

Let it sit for half an hour: Let the carbonara pasta salad sit for 30 minutes so the flavors meld together.

Allergies & Substitutions

• Swap tempeh for tofu
• Make it gluten-free – with gluten-free pasta and tamari 
• Make it soy free – use nut-based plant milk and swap tempeh for mock bacon. Using the same marinade, you can also make bacon out of carrots, rice paper, mushrooms, or coconut bacon.
• Can’t find hemp seeds? You can use cashews instead. 
• Make it oil free! If you are strictly oil-free, you can omit the oil in the dressing or add extra plant milk, although it will significantly alter the flavor. You can omit the oil for the tempeh bacon marinade.

Can I make Carbonara Pasta Salad in advance?

Absolutely! This Carbonara Pasta Salad can be prepared in advance, making it perfect for gatherings, potlucks, or meal prepping. Cook the pasta and prepare the tempeh bacon and dressing ahead of time. Keep them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator. When ready to serve, toss everything together with the romaine hearts and vegan parmesan.

Storing Carbonara Pasta Salad leftovers

Store the carbonara pasta salad for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. I recommend storing the dressing separately for the fresh flavors and textures.

Serving Suggestions:

As a Light Lunch: Serve the Carbonara Pasta Salad as a refreshing and filling light lunch. (Although not a bad choice for dinner).

Potluck Favorite: This salad is an excellent option for potlucks and gatherings.

Side Dish with Grilled Delights: Pair this salad with grilled vegetables, tofu skewers, or vegan burgers for a complete and satisfying meal. The creamy dressing and smoky tempeh bacon complement grilled flavors exceptionally well.

More Vegan Salad Recipes

EDAMAME CRUNCH SALAD WITH CREAMY TAHINI DRESSING

CREAMY DILL VEGAN MACARONI SALAD

HIGH PROTEIN GREEN GODDESS SALAD

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