Vegan Cacio E Pepe
This recipe for Vegan Cacio e Pepe is a delicious blend of creamy and flavorful ingredients, made entirely from simple, plant-based components.
Ingredients
Black Pepper Cream Ingredients
- 1 cup cashews, previously soaked (overnight or minimum 6 hours)
- 1 cup reserved pasta cooking water
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1/3 tsp black peppercorn, ground
- 1/3 tsp green peppercorn, ground
- 1/2 tsp salt
Olive Pureé Ingredients
- 1 cup green olives drained and rinsed
- 1/3 cup unsweetend soy milk Or other full-fat unsweetened plant-based milk
Other Ingredients
- 8 oz linguine or spaghetti or other pasta of your choice (spaghetti Cacio e Pepe is the most traditional)
- Garnish (optional): vegan Parmesan, coarsely ground black peppercorns and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
Instructions
- Soak your cashews in cold water, preferably overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours.
- Boil 4 quarts of water with a pinch of salt. Once you see bubbles forming on the surface of the water, add the pasta of your choice. Cook according to pasta instructions till the pasta is al denté. Remember to save 1 cup of pasta water for the sauce before draining the pasta!
- Drain your cashews from the water and add to a high-speed blender along with the lemon juice, nutritional yeast, ground peppercorns, salt and 1/3 pasta water from step 3. Blitz in your blender or food processor till you achieve a smooth sauce with an even consistency. If needed, slowly add more pasta to the sauce to increase the runniness.
- Add your sauce to the empty saucepan and heat on low to medium heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Add your pasta and stir to combine.
- Serve and garnish with optional toppings.