Carbonara may be one of the most difficult recipes to vegan-ify, since every major ingredient in the sauce is off-limits. But by eating lots of the real deal and getting mighty crafty with an array of unlikely ingredients, I managed to create a vegan carbonara that captures the essence of the original like no other: It's silky and rich, unctuous, and studded with meaty bits, with the sharp, lactic tang of Pecorino Romano (but, of course, no actual Pecorino Romano).