Dairy Free Pasta Carbonara

Dairy Free Pasta Carbonara is the perfect alternative to satisfy your comfort food cravings!

dairy-free-pasta-carbonara

I remember when I used to dine at Cheesecake Factory as a teenager and my absolute favorite items to order off the menu was the fried mac n cheese balls and the pasta carbonara. MAN they were so creamy and delectable. And boy I must’ve had a mega fast metabolism cause I never gained an ounce from shoveling caloric filled carbs and creamy sauce in my mouth. 

Yet again I want to solve the issue that comes with fighting cravings by creating a totally healthy yet indulgent comfort food that is absolutely gilt free.  Now we can experience the ritual of enjoying creamy pasta yet again without the weight gain, yip yip hooray!

dairy-free-pasta-carbonara

This dairy free, gluten free and uber yummy pasta carbonara recipe satisfies cravings for salt, comfort, pepper, and carbs. Instead of using eggs, cheese and cream, I created a carbonara sauce using my favorite vegan cheese spread as the base. For the pasta I used quinoa noodles which are gluten free, but you can always opt for a completely plant based variation using zucchini noodles. 

Related Article: Zucchini Pasta

To add even more veggies in the mix as I always love to do. I sauteed an entire bag of spinach and shiitake mushrooms and blended them in with the creamy pasta at the end. You can never sneak in enough veggies I say! This is also the perfect pasta recipe to make in big batches so that you can pack it for lunch or enjoy leftovers the remainder of the week! 

dairy-free-pasta-carbonara

Dairy Free Pasta Carbonara

Ingredients:

  • 1 package of quinoa noodles
  • 1 8oz  package of shiitake mushrooms
  • 1 16oz package of spinach
  • sprinkle of smoked seasoning
  • black pepper, to taste
  • 2 pieces of fresh sage
  • 1 tbsp coconut oil

Carbonara sauce:

  • 3 cups of vegan cheese spread
  • 1 tsp smoked seasoning
  • black pepper to taste
  • 2 shallots
  • 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 3 tbsp vegan butter

Directions:

  1. Create the vegan cheese spread according to directions
  2. In a pan bring about 3 cups of water to a boil, add the quinoa noodles and cook according to package instructions. Drain the noodles and set aside.
  3. In a skillet, heat up 1 tbsp of coconut oil and  saute the shallots until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook for about 7 minutes.
  4. Add the spinach and cook for about 3 minutes until spinach begins to wilt. Then add the pepper, smoked seasoning and fresh sage.
  5. Add the sauted vegetables to the pan of noodles, and then fold in the vegan cheese sauce. Bring stove top heat to medium.
  6. Add the white wine vinegar, vegan butter, more black pepper and smoked seasoning to the pan and cook on medium heat for another 3-4 minutes.
  7. Serve and enjoy!

dairy-free-pasta-carbonara

What other types of comfort foods do you want to get recipe swaps for? Comment below or email me at: Sarah@BalancedBabe.com !

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