Vegan Cacio e Pepe (& a Pasta Party!)

Step 1

Place your cashews in a medium bowl and cover with boiling water. Let sit for at least a half hour, then drain well.

Step 2

Add your drained cashews to a high-powered blender with your 3/4 cup water, and blend until silky smooth. Add your nutritional yeast and lemon juice, and blend just until combined. Set aside.

Step 3

Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil. Add your pasta and boil until al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir often to avoid sticking. When the pasta is almost done cooking, carefully scoop out 1 and 1/2 cups of pasta water and set it aside. You’ll need it for the sauce.

Step 4

When the pasta is almost ready, heat your vegan butter in a medium pot over medium heat. Add your black pepper, and allow the pepper to “fry” slightly, about 30 seconds. Add 1 cup of your cashew cream mixture, and thin it out with 1/2 of your reserved pasta water. Mix to combine. It’ll be thick. Turn off the heat.

Step 5

When the pasta is ready, transfer it to your cashew cream mixture, and mix to combine. If the cream starts to clump, add just enough reserved pasta water to make it creamy over the noodles. Carefully taste, and add salt to taste. Serve immediately with more freshly-cracked pepper and Vegan Parmesan on the side!