Vegan Cacio e Pepe Recipe

Vegan Cacio e Pepe

This vegan cacio e pepe recipe is my go-to as of late! It’s wildly creamy, super flavorful and truly tastes like the real deal. Yet there is absolutely no dairy in this vegan recipe! It took me a while to figure out how to make a vegan cacio e pepe sauce but I’m so glad I stuck with it.

What is cacio e pepe?

Cacio e pepe is a creamy cheese sauce made from exactly what it translates to: cheese and pepper. This particular recipe for vegan cacio e pepe however required no cheese as it’s completely dairy-free. Of course, I could have used a vegan parmesan but I have yet to find one that melts perfectly and for a sauce like cacio e pepe, that is a must. This specific recipe gets its cheesy flavor from the nutritional yeast and its creamy texture from the cashew butter. The miso paste helps add umami which gives this dish a super savory flavor profile. I also used a vegan butter in this dish to help give it that rich flavor and love both this option and this one.

How do I make homemade garlic breadcrumbs?

For an added bonus, I included the most delicious garlic breadcrumbs on the top of this pasta which take just 5 minutes make. I simply took a slice of bread and put it in the food processor until it was all crumbled up. This yielded about 1 cup of breadcrumbs so you might need two slices if your bread is thinner. Next I added 1 large clove of garlic to the food processor and minced that as well. In a medium skillet, I added 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and let that heat up for about 1 minute over medium heat. Then I added in the garlic and let that cook 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant and starting to turn a golden brown color. Lastly, I added in the breadcrumbs and let them cook for about 3 minutes or until they became a golden brown color as well.

Vegan Cacio E Pepe Recipe

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Vegan Cacio e Pepe Recipe
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Author:
Recipe type: Main
Serves: 4 servings
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • ¼ cup cashew butter
  • 2 tbsp white miso paste
  • 12-16 oz spaghetti (or other pasta shape; the less you use, the thicker/creamier the sauce will be)
  • ¼ cup EVOO
  • black pepper, to taste
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • ¾ cup pasta water
  • pinch of salt
  • 3 tbsp vegan butter
Instructions
  1. Cook pasta according to pasta instructions.
  2. In medium mixing bowl, combine nutritional yeast, cashew butter and miso paste. Stir until fully combined.
  3. In medium skillet, add EVOO, pepper (to taste), and lemon. Cook over medium heat for roughly 3 minutes. Add in vegan butter, salt, pasta water and mixture in the medium skillet but turn off and remove from heat. Stir until fully combined.
  4. Add the noodles, drained, into the skillet and toss until fully coated. Add ¼ cup more water to thin if needed. Serve and enjoy!
Supplies
medium mixing bowl
rubber spatula
medium skillet
measuring cup
strainer
mixing spoon

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Dairy Free Cacio e Pepe Recipe