Skinny Spaghetti Carbonara : Vegan

I have been preparing for Santa Barbara Summer Solstice Parade (It’s our local celebration, similar to Mardi- Gras in New Orleans but more subdued way:)) with my dance + drum troupe, Panzumo for last 8 weeks. I have been trying to eat healthier, work out regularly and of course I danced a lot. And I made this whenever I felt like eating comfort food but really needed to fit into the tiny little bikini costume. I would normally shove my face into regular carbonara but when I have a show to do, I get into my skinny mode. Don’t worry. This skinny version of carbonara is nothing to scared of. It’s gooooood. Even my husband and his friend said it was the best pasta they ever had. Maybe they had way to many beer…whatever.
Now make this, go dancing! Feel like a feather!

Ingredients
Carbonara sauce:
1/2 cup raw cashew( soaked in water a few hours )
1/2 cup raw almond ( soaked in water a few hours )
1 cup vegetable broth (or chicken broth)
2 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon brown sugar
2 teaspoon dried oregano or italien herb
1 Tablespoon tahini
2 teaspoon white mild miso
3 Tablespoon Bragg’s liquid aminos
1 clove garlic
1 lemon
1 Tablespoon garbanzo flour (This will thicken the sauce!)

Pasta:
1/2 box Thick spaghetti
Favorite veggies sliced (Striped zucchini, peas, spinach….)
Vegan mozzarella cheese to sprinkle on top

Preparation
1. Soak cashews and almonds in cold water for 30 mins~hour. Peel off soaked almonds. (When soaked in water, it’s really easy to peel off the skins. Just squeeze the bottom with your finger, almonds will pop right out)

2. Grind the nuts with vegetable broth in a food processor till smooth.

3. Strain the nut mixture. (Otherwise you get grainy carbonara! )
4. Mix in all the rest of sauce ingredients except for garbanzo flour.

5. Heat the sauce in the pan or pot on low heat and add garbanzo flour. Keep stirring till thicken. Season with salt and pepper.
(If you would like to add chicken or salmon, feel free to add- I have made this with chicken and salmon, they both are delicious! But cashews are solid protein addition so no need to overdo with protein.)

6. Cook pasta in salted boiling water till al dante.

7. Add pasta directly to the sauce mixture. You can add pasta water to thin it out if you think it’s too thick. Also feel free to add more of tahini, lemon juice, smoked paprika, miso or mustard and adjust the taste with salt and pepper.
8. Add prepared veggies last. (I added sliced striped zucchini) Cook till slightly soft but still has a bite.
9. Sprinkle with vegan mozzarella cheese.

Enjoy.

A few shots from our solstice where Santa Barbara goes on ‘party’ mode! 🙂