Vegan Cacio e Pepe

This classic Italian Vegan Cacio e Pepe is made simple and easy with homemade cheese sauce. It’s packed with delicious flavors, so peppery and perfectly salty too. It’s an ultimate comfort food with a simple ingredient list.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Keyword cacio e pepe cashew, cacio e pepe pasta, how to make vegan cacio e pepe, vegan cacio e pepe recipe

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 10

Total Time 20

Servings

Calories 417kcal

Author Gunjan

Ingredients

for grinding

1/2 cup raw cashew nuts
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp salt

others

3 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp garlic powder
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 cup reserved pasta water/plain water
1 tsp crushed black pepper
more salt as per taste
4 cups cooked spaghetti (regular/whole grain)

Instructions

In a food processor combine cashew nuts, nutritional yeast and ½ tsp salt and grind it into a powder. Keep it aside.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add garlic powder and soy sauce and mix until garlic powder dissolves in it.
Add the ground cashew mixture to it and sauté well until well coated with oil.
Add water and stir. Cook at high until a paste is formed. Season it with more salt and black pepper and stir it again.
Toss in cooked spaghetti and mix well. Garnish with more freshly ground black pepper and nutritional yeast. Serve immediately.

Video

Notes

For pasta water – Boil spaghetti as per package instructions. Just before draining it simply measure a cup of that water directly from it and keep it aside. Drain the rest of the water.
You may also substitute oil with vegan butter for creamier taste and texture. Use about 3 tbsp. heaped vegan butter in this case.
Try to grind the cashew mixture as fine as possible to avoid clumps while cooking.
You may garnish this recipe with vegan parmesan if desired.
This recipe should taste salty and peppery so make sure to add enough salt and pepper to balance of the end result. You may sprinkle some crushed chili flakes for a spicy version.
4 cups cooked spaghetti is about ¾ of 1 lb. box of uncooked spaghetti.

Nutrition