Creamy British Style Carbonara

There's nothing more comforting than a bowl full of filling, creamy pasta. Bring a Brit, Spaghetti Carbonara was one of my favourite comfort foods for years- the 'cheat' British version, though, not the authentic Italian version- what can I say? I wasn't as well travelled as I might have liked to think!

The British take on the classic Spaghetti Carbonara is cream heavy with bacon or ham and peas. Here I use cashews and nutritional yeast  for a creamy sauce and a little tempeh for a smoky boost of protein.

Ingredients
Legume based pasta-  I used edamame and mung bean fettuccini by Explore Cuisine

For the sauce
1/2 cup raw unsalted cashews (this will be soaked in boiling water for 20-30 minutes)
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a pinch smoked salt
1 tsp miso (optional)
sprinkle of dried parsley

For the Tempeh Topping
tempeh
soy sauce
garlic powder
onion powder

Method
Place the raw cashews in a blender. Add boiling water until the cashews are just about covered, and leave to soak. Set to one side for 10 minutes

Half fill a large saucepan with water and place on high to boil- once boiling, add the pasta and cook per the package's directions.

Cut the tempeh into 1/2 cm thick slices
Heat a non stick pan on medium
Add the tempeh, soy sauce, and garlic and onion powders. Once the tempeh has browned on the bottom, turn it over and brown the other side.

Add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and miso to the blender. Blend on high for 2-3 minutes until the cashews have broken down to form a smooth sauce.

Drain tha pasta, making sure to take around 1/3 cup of the water and mix it into the cashew sauce to help it coat the pasta. Stir the sauce into the pasta, and place the tempeh on top. Garnish with parsley and enjoy!