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Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce

This amazing Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce is super creamy, entirely vegan and gluten free. It takes just 4 ingredients and will be a must make for everyone.

The Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce in a glass jar.

You guys all know that I love sauces. More than that, I’m addicted to covering all my pasta with yummy homemade creaminess like my Spicy Tahini Pasta Sauce or the Avocado Pesto Pasta Sauce.

Today we are adding another star to this list. Can you believe me you need only 4 ingredients to make this Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce?

Guess what, that’s how it is. I’m seriously excited how easy it is and how amazingly delicious it turned out.

When I started thinking about this recipe, I was looking for something that comes really close to the classic. You know, in a completely plant based way.

Bowl of cooked pasta with fresh tomato, basil, garlic, and bread in the background.

Making a nut free vegan Carbonara Sauce

That isn’t an easy game. For sure you could use cashews. I love them, they never disappoint. But I would need a blender and I want it even easier. Or one could take some plant based milk blend, add some vegan parm for a flavor.

Of course that’d be a lovely combination, super creamy and delicious. But friends that isn’t enough for me because I really know how this is supposed to taste from my pre vegan days.

Back then I seriously enjoyed a lot of pasta and creamy sauces.

They are so cheesy, so satisfying. So what I want to do is come really close to the real deal. Something that all people can enjoy and love, no matter if vegan, vegetarian or meat lover.

Pouring the Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce from the jar over pasta.

Classic Carbonara isn’t dairy free. People make it with real cream, eggs, Parmesan, butter and often with bacon, Panchetta.

Bring your big pasta plates on. It’s time for this Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce. It’s creamy, cheesy, garlicky, tastes like the real deal, satisfying, made for pasta, veggies, potatoes, addicting and super easy.

How to make this Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce 

First heat some oil, cacao butter or vegetable broth for oil free cooking. Fry the garlic for around 3 minutes, then add all the other ingredients to that pan cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Note: If your cream is a bit thin, adjust with tapioca starch until the sauce thickens. My cream was really thick so no need for extra starch. But it may depend on brand and cream.

Serve over pasta or whatever you like and enjoy!

Fresh parsley is used for garnish.

This vegan pasta sauce is a winner. I never imagined that with those simple ingredients I can create the typical flavor. But it’s done and real. I worked and tested a lot of versions: with nuts, without nuts, with or vegan Parmesan, with or without capers.

How to get egg flavor with vegan ingredients

I was especially looking for the opportunity to achieve a real egg flavor. What I found was that I can only get an egg flavor with black salt (kala namak).

This salt really does wonders, it creates an egg flavor that you can’t tell from the original.

In addition, I don’t use plant based milk here. I used oat cream instead. It’s thicker and richer than milk. If you can’t find oat milk, which is pretty easy in the Netherlands, I would say you can use a plain coconut creamer.

A portion of pasta with Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce on a plate.

If you don’t find any, you can use milk. But on its own that is not rich enough so you need a bit of starch. With oat cream or a plain coconut creamer it’s rich enough.

No need for extra starch. Please make sure to use a plain cream or creamer without any sweetener, this is important otherwise it won’t taste as it is intended to taste.

You can use liquid smoke optionally, but this is not a must. It’s delicious without any and it gives that sauce a deep smoky flavor.

Get a real egg flavor in this Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce

Let’s have a fun talk about black salt (kala namak). It is a volcanic Indian rock salt. It’s a common use in Pakistan, India and Asia.

Fork lifting the pasta from a plate.

At the beginning, it’s starts as Himalayan Pink salt and will be extremely heated mixed together with some Indian spices and herbs.

It creates not only an amazing egg flavor. It’s also full of some amazing benefits for you: good for eyesight and hair which it helps strengthen thanks to a lot of minerals.

The salt is good against joint pain. Black salt can help just use a cup in a cloth, make it warm and put it on the concerned area.

You see it’s a powerhouse. Not only delicious but also packed with some fantastic benefits for you.

Collage of two pictures of the Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce with recipe title text.

If you give this a try give me a tag on Facebook or Instagram so I can see all the delicious meals which you make with this Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce.

Cheers and have a fun adventure in the kitchen, Florian

Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce | #vegan #glutenfree #contentednesscooking #plantbased #dairyfree

Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce

Yield: 4
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

This amazing Roasted Garlic Carbonara Sauce is super creamy, entirely vegan and gluten free. It takes just 4 ingredients and will be a must make for everyone.

Ingredients

  • 7 oz oat cream or coconut creamer, unsweetened
  • 5 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 tsp black salt (kala namak)
  • 2 tsp liquid smoke (optional)
  • pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. First heat some oil, cacao butter or vegetable broth for oil free cooking. Fry the garlic for around 3 minutes, then add all the other ingredients to that pan cook for an additional 5 minutes.
  2. Note: If your cream is a bit thin, adjust with tapioca starch until the sauce thickens. My cream was really thick so no need for extra starch. But it may depend on brand and cream.
  3. Serve over pasta or whatever you like and enjoy!
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 4 Serving Size: 0.5 cup
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 193Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 560mgCarbohydrates: 4gFiber: 0gSugar: 1.9gProtein: 7g

 

Dave

Sunday 14th of March 2021

This was simply outstanding. I made my own oat cream and used about 1 1/2 tsp liquid smoke- might try with smoked paprika next time. I have been looking for a non red vegan pasta sauce and this is by far the tastiest I have made so far. I went to Rome in 2017 and ate Carbonara every singe day I was there- thank you!!!

Florian

Sunday 14th of March 2021

Thanks Dave for making and sharing your amazing feedback. Would you mind leaving a star rating with your review? Your experience is so helpful for other readers. Thanks so much.

Janis

Friday 11th of October 2019

The sauce sounds great, but I’m also wondering what else is on the pasta in these photos—please tell!

Florian

Friday 11th of October 2019

Hi Janis! These are sun dried tomatoes, enjoy!

Helen Parkisnon

Sunday 4th of August 2019

2 tsp of liquid smoke? Really? That stuff is so strong. I like it don't get me wrong but 2 teaspoons, 1 drop would do me. Will try this but with reduced liquid smoke.

Florian

Thursday 8th of August 2019

Hi Helen! I like my liquid smoke a lot 😄, but feel free to use less! Let me know how it goes and enjoy!

Natalie

Thursday 26th of July 2018

Love this recipe, has become a family favourite, thank you

Florian

Thursday 26th of July 2018

Thanks so much for your fantastic feedback, Natalie! Happy to hear it's always a big hit with your family!

Nuffy

Monday 30th of April 2018

I just want a plain Oat Cream for pasta, nothing else added like the Oatly Cream which is available in the UK to buy...

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