Vegetarische Linguine Carbonara (vegetarian linguine carbonara)

Method

1. Cook the linguine in a large pot of salted water according to the package, until al dente. Reserve 150 ml of the starchy cooking water, then drain.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a dry pan over medium-high heat. Sear the smoked tofu, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 8 minutes, until genuinely crisp at the edges.
3. Whisk the egg yolks, whole egg and grated cheese together in a bowl. Season with a generous amount of black pepper.
4. Remove the pan with the tofu from the heat. Add the drained hot pasta and toss to coat in the residual heat and oil.
5. Off the heat, pour in the egg mixture, tossing constantly and quickly, adding a splash of the reserved pasta water to loosen, until the sauce turns silky and coats the pasta, with no curdled bits.
6. Season with salt to taste. Serve immediately.

Notes

• Sear the tofu hard and dry, not gently warmed. Soft, merely heated tofu adds no textural contrast; a genuinely crisp edge is what stands in for the bite of pancetta in a classic carbonara.
• Work off the direct heat once the egg mixture goes in. The residual heat from the pasta and pan is enough to gently cook the eggs into a silky sauce; direct heat scrambles them into curds instead.
• Toss constantly and quickly. Carbonara comes together in under a minute; hesitating lets the eggs sit too long against the hot pasta and start to curdle.
• Best eaten immediately; the sauce doesn’t reheat well since the eggs continue to firm up.

Ingredient substitutions

• Smoked tofu can be swapped for seared mushrooms for a different, earthier flavour.
• A vegetarian hard cheese gives the classic salty depth; adjust the quantity to taste.
• A pinch of smoked paprika in the tofu while searing adds extra depth.