How to make Vegan Cacio e Pepe. A healthy version of the classic Italian, this creamy vegan pasta is full of flavor, super peppery and seriously delicious!
A few months ago I went out to LA for a conference and met up with a friend for dinner at Plant Food and Wine in Venice. It's a vegan restaurant and as soon as we sat down, my friend that we had to order the kelp noodle Cacio e Pepe.
Oh em gee. My love affair with pasta reached a whole new level after tasting that dish. No joke it's one of the best pastas I've ever tried.
And as soon as I tasted it, I knew I wanted to recreate it for you. So that's what we're doing! I'm giving you my own version of a vegan Cacio e Pepe with gluten-free pasta, a peppery vegan cream sauce and sprinkled with a touch of fresh basil.
Why do You Soak Raw Cashews?
First things first, let's talk cashews! You've seen me use cashews many times before in my “creamy” recipes (like my White Quinoa Chili and my vegan lemon creamy sauce) and it's because, when blended, raw cashews have the most luxurious, smooth, creamy texture.
They lend themselves very nicely to making vegan cream-based recipes.
However, the trick with raw cashews is that you need to soak them. Because we're going to blend them, soaking the cashews ahead of time softens the flesh of the nut and makes it easier to blend. I recommend soaking cashews overnight, but if you're short on time, simply pop them in some hot water for two hours and you should be fine (especially if you have a high powered blender!).
One thing to keep in mind is that raw cashews can be a little pricey. I buy mine from Thrive Market because they're organic, raw and way cheaper than anything else I've seen in stores! They're typically at least 35% off which is an incredible deal. In fact, I recommend checking out all their nuts and seeds because they're always cheaper than what you see in stores.
p.s. want to try Thrive Market for yourself? Get 25% off your first order + free shipping by shopping through this link!
How to make Vegan Cream Sauce
Once you've got your cashews nice and soft, it's time to make your sauce. Like most vegan creamy sauce recipes, we're using our handy dandy blender!
You'll add your cashews into the blender, along with the rest of our ingredients:
- nutritional yeast: for a cheesy flavor
- lemon juice: for some acidity and brightness
- peppercorns: because…cacio e pepe!
- miso paste: adds a nice umami flavor and some salt
- sea salt: for even more flavor
And then we just blend it all up with some water and call it a day. Honestly, couldn't be easier to make!
What is Cacio e Pepe?
Cacio e pepe is a classic Italian pasta dish that comes from Rome. Its literal translation is “cheese and pepper” which is exactly what it's made with.
It's one of the easiest pasta recipes to make because it's so simple. Traditionally, you would only use 3 ingredients: pecorino romano cheese (which is usually a sharp sheep cheese), pepper and pasta. That's one of the things I adore most about Italian food; it's simple, yet delicious!
The Ultimate Vegan Cacio e Pepe Pasta
For our vegan cacio e pepe, we're swapping the cheese for our vegan cheese sauce. While it's not exactly like the original, it's still got that satisfying creaminess, that spiciness from the pepper and a simple ingredient list.
But what's also great about this recipe is that the sauce is actually super versatile. It's obviously SO good on pasta, but it could also be used as a base for white pizza, in lasagna, in a baked “mac and cheese” style dish, or it could even be thinned out and used as a salad dressing.
Either way, I think you're going to adore this dish! It's so comforting but also feels really light, which is great for this time of year!
More Healthy Vegan Pasta Recipes to try:
- Vegan Caesar Pasta Salad
- Rustic Tuscan Pasta with White Beans
- Vegan Pumpkin Alfredo Noodles
- Vegan Baked Mac and Cheese
Vegan Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 1 lb gluten-free spaghetti (I like Banza)
- 1 cup raw cashews , soaked at least 2 hours
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 1/2 - 1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
- 1/2 teaspoon miso paste (or sea salt)
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 3/4 cup filtered water
- Garnish with fresh basil , cracked pepper & grated macadamia nuts
Instructions
- Add the cashews into a bowl and cover with hot water. Allow cashews to soak for at least 2 hours.
- When ready to make the sauce, place a pot of water to boil on the stove. Once boiling, add the pasta and cook according to the package instructions.
- While the pasta is cooking, drain and rinse the cashews. Add them into a blender along with the remaining ingredients. Blend on high until smooth and creamy.
- When pasta is done cooking, reserve some of the water, and then draining it. Add the pasta back into the pot along with the sauce and 1 - 2 tablespoons of pasta water. Toss to combine.
- Serve immediately and garnish with desired toppings.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
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Absolutely incredible! The sauce is restaurant-quality. I used regular pasta. Absolutely will be making again!
I didn’t use cashews or miso.I boiled gluten-free fettuccine, and added 1 tablespoon of butter, a large tablespoon of vegan Greek yogurt, a hefty sprinkle of nutritional yeast and lots of freshly ground black pepper. And a bit of the reserved cooking water to make a creamy sauce. Excellent and easy!
So delicious! I used 1/2 tbl of peppercorns in the sauce, and at the table added more freshly ground pepper. Only thing missing was fresh basil so I added a 1/2 tsp of dried basil to the sauce. My husband, who is a big meat eater, had seconds and said he couldn’t tell there wasn’t any butter or cheese in it.
Brava Alyssa! Ottima ricetta!
I just made it for lunch and it’s going to join my favorite ones 🇮🇹🍝.
How much salt to use in replace of miso paste. I noticed salt is also on the ingredient list. Should I leave it out completely or just add extra to taste?
This was excellent. I doubled the peppercorns and used walnuts instead of cashews (I use them interchangeably) and it was absolutely delish. Also sauted garlic and tomatoes which no longer makes it a cacio pepe but it worked out well. Ooh also grated 1/2 block super firm tofu into it to crank up the protein. Thanks for a great recipe, will make it again.
I am obsessed. I have made this 3-4x now and it is delicious every time. I use parm cheese instead of the nutritional yeast (I can have small amount of dairy, and I have it on hand.) I also haven’t used miso paste, just because I don’t have it in the pantry.
My ninja blender smoothie cup works perfectly to make this sauce.
Suggestion for heating up leftovers in microwave or stovetop – add a splash of water before heating. Makes a big difference in making the sauce creamy again.
Yay!! Thank you for the reheating tips! I’m so glad it has been a hit for you 🙂
CRAZY good!!!
It’s Cacio and pepe. Which means pepper and cheese. If it’s not pepper and cheese, it’s not Caicos pepe. You can’t take a traditional dish, add a bunch of shit, and say it’s even a version of a traditional dish. This is something new.
Appreciate the feedback, but I’m not sure that I agree. Whenever you change a recipe from the original version it would be a “version of the traditional dish”. The point of this recipe is to help people who are following a plant-based diet or are dairy-free, enjoy a recipe that is reminiscent of a traditional Italian dish. Just because something isn’t exactly like the original, doesn’t mean it can’t be a version.
Wish there was a like button. Brilliant answer. Can’t wait to try this dish!!
This amazing! I used 3/4 tsp of ground pepper and it was perfect.
So happy to hear that!!
I’m so happy to hear that!
Made this tonight, was so excited to try a vegan version after watching Stanley Tucci eat the real thing a few weeks ago on the Rome episode of his new show. Measured out all the sauce ingredients carefully and used closer to a tbsp of whole peppercorns .. sadly that was too much, sauce was so intensely peppery. Might try again with lesser amt. Full disclosure that I’ve never had the real thing so maybe it’s meant to be pepper-dominant but I found it to overwhelm the other flavors
Pepper is definitely a dominant flavor but you can for sure cut down on the amount 🙂
Hi, this looks so delicious and i’m excited to make it. How long would it last in the fridge? or should it be made and used straight away? Thanks
I think you could maybe make the sauce ahead, but the pasta itself might get a little dry if it sits!
This is a delicious dish. However, I wonder if the 1-½ Tbs black peppercorns is a typo. I used slightly more than 1 Tbs and it was very, very spicy. The Matthew Kenney recipe lists only ½ Tbs.h
It should be reversed, you’re right!
Thanks for this recipe! Just a note for anyone using ground pepper: I used ground pepper in this recipe instead of whole peppercorns. I looked up the conversion and it told me to use 6 1/2 tsp of ground pepper. I thought that was way too much so I started with 3 tsp and planned to add more to taste. I tasted after using the 3 tsp and it was so spicy I couldn’t even eat it. Just a heads up. Planning on trying this recipe again soon using whole peppercorns like the recipe suggests.
Thanks so much for sharing!
I have just come across your page today, think there is plenty for me to discover here 🙂 one question, do you use white or dark miso paste? I only have the dark one (I live in Switzerland so not available everywhere) and so am curious if you have both miso pastes and if you use them differently. Thanks!
Dark is totally fine! I find it actually has more flavor 🙂 Your sauce might be a tiny bit darker in color, but taste will be the same! xo
Hey! I definitely want to make this ???? But I’m wondering… with the soaked cashews, do you add them and the water they soaked in to the blender? Or you pick them out of the water? Thank you so much!!
Nope! You drain and rinse them, then add them to the blender 🙂