Carbonara is a classic Italian pasta sauce, rich and creamy, but definitely a dish for carnivores. It’s key ingredients are cured pork, egg yolks and Parmesan cheese.

This vegan version subs in mushrooms and rice milk, with miso providing the cheesy savoriness and nutritional yeast amplifying the flavors. This removes not just animal proteins, but a lot of fat and cholesterol from the mix, too.

Instead of cooking separately, the dry pasta goes straight into the simmering sauce, absorbing enough liquid to cook it through. This makes the process a bit simpler.

Miso Carbonara

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

• 5 brown button mushrooms, thinly sliced

• 1 cup rice milk or other plant-based milk

• 1 teaspoon white miso

• 1/2 tablespoon red miso

• 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces) dry angel hair pasta (capellini)

• 1 teaspoon nutritional yeast

• Salt and pepper, to taste

Directions:

Heat oil in skillet. Add mushrooms and sauté 2 to 4 minutes.

Reduce heat to low; add rice milk and both types of miso. Stir to combine. Add pasta and let cook until pasta has soaked up most of the sauce and is tender. Stir in nutritional yeast. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 1.

Approximate nutrient analysis per serving (not including salt): 650 calories, 17 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 650 mg sodium, 103 g carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 29 g sugar, 21 g protein. Nutritional analysis provided by Joannie Dobbs, Ph.D., C.N.S.

The Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation is an international nonprofit with a local office in Kaimuki. Its mission of community service includes the promotion of a healthy vegetarian lifestyle. To learn more, visit facebook.com/ hawaiitzuchi or call 808-737-8885.