[RECIPE] "cacio e pepe" inspired pasta
A creamy and cheesy pasta, packed with umami flavours
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
vegan creamy cheesy pasta
Servings
2
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
15 minutes
Author:
the C word
Salty, creamy and peppery, with loads of umami. You most likely won't fool a Roman (cacio e pepe originated in Rome), but it will please most.
This relatively simple recipe has been around the net for a while now. The variation below is the one we have settled for, and it never disappoints, particularly when the weather is grey and cold.
Using store-bought cashew butter makes this a quick one-pot dish, plus you can dial up the black pepper content to your personal taste. Traditionally you would feel the heat in each mouthful!
Ingredients
8g (3 tbsp) nutritional yeast
50g (2½ tbsp) cashew butter
40g (2½ tbsp) white miso (shiro miso) paste
3g (1½ tsp) cracked black pepper
250g spaghetti
35g (2 tbsp) extra virgin olive oil
Directions
bring a large pot of water to the boil, salt it generously
stir yeast, cashew butter and miso paste together in a mixing bowl to form a thick paste
cook the pasta in the boiling salted water until severely al dente (at least 3-4 minutes less than indicated on the packaging)
keep 2 cups cooking water aside, then drain the spaghetti
heat the olive oil over a medium-high flame in the same, now empty pot, and toast the peppercorns for 2 minutes, until fragrant
add the miso mixture to the pot along with 1 cup of the reserved water, whisk until dissolved and smooth
add the cooked spaghetti and stir over high heat for 2-3 minutes, drizzling in more cooking water (as needed) to keep the pasta saucy and the sauce itself glossy
serve immediately with extra cracked black pepper