Vegan Cacio e Pepe

Note :

Cashew butter is the star of this dish. If you can’t find unsweetened cashew butter, try using tahini or raw, unsweetened almond butter instead.

Ingredients

12 ounces bucatini pasta

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus more to taste

1 teaspoon fresh, coarsely ground black pepper, plus more to taste

1/3 cup unsweetened cashew butter (raw and untoasted, if possible)

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

2 teaspoons miso

Method

Cook the pasta:

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and salt. Cook until al dente (according to the package directions). 

Reserve 1 1/2 cups of pasta water and drain the pasta in a colander.

Toast the black pepper:

Meanwhile, add the coarsely ground pepper to a large, deep skillet over medium-low heat and toast until fragrant, about a minute. Transfer the pepper to a medium bowl. You’ll add the pasta back to this skillet, so make sure it is large enough.

Make the sauce:

Add the cashew butter, nutritional yeast, and miso to the bowl with the pepper. While whisking, slowly pour in 1 cup of the reserved, hot pasta water into the cashew butter mixture. Whisk until creamy and well combined.

Combine and serve:

Add the drained pasta and sauce to the skillet over medium-low heat. Stir and toss constantly until the sauce thickens—this may take a few minutes. If this sauce becomes too thick, add more pasta water, a small splash at a time. 

Season with salt to taste and garnish with more pepper. Serve immediately.

Vegan cacio e pepe is best served fresh. Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, add a splash of water or nondairy milk and place in a skillet over medium heat and cook until warmed through. 

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