This vegan cacio e pepe is creamy, delicious, and packed with peppery flavor! It's a super simple pasta dish that comes together in a flash and you'll want to make again and again.
- 1 cup water
- ½ cup raw cashews, soaked in water 4 to 8 hours, drained and rinsed
- 1 tablespoon white miso paste
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more for the pasta water
- 1 pound dried spaghetti
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
- Vegan Parmesan cheese, for serving
-
Place the water, cashews, miso paste, lemon juice and salt into a blender. Blend until smooth.
-
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, then add the pasta. Cook the pasta according to the package directions until al dente. Drain it into a colander when done, reserving about a half cup of the cooking water.
-
While the pasta cooks, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the black pepper and cook it for about 30 seconds. If the pasta isn't done cooking yet, remove the skillet from heat temporarily. If it is, then proceed with the next step.
-
If you took the skillet off of heat, place it back over medium heat. Add the pasta and cashew sauce. Use tongs to toss everything together, making sure to incorporate the butter and pepper on the bottom of the skillet into the mixture. Cook everything for 2 to 3 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the noodles. If the sauce becomes too thick, thin it with some of the pasta cooking water.
-
Remove the skillet from heat and season the pasta with additional salt to taste.
-
Divide the pasta onto plates and serve with a sprinkle of vegan Parmesan cheese.