This vegan Cacio e Pepe recipe is the latest in Teria-Ann Carty’s column Simply Pasta. This plant-based twist on the Italian classic is loaded with vegan cheese and black pepper. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s super simple to make and even simpler to eat!
Happy March AND daylight savings, friends! As I type this the snow is raging outside which means it is still pasta weather. Who am I kidding, it’s always pasta weather, AM I RIGHT? I just got home from 2 weeks in Mexico where I only had pasta once. The first day back I knew exactly what to do. I had been craving cacio e pepe for months and was waiting for the right time to make it. That time is NOW!
Cacio e pepe in Italian means cheese and pepper. This dish is like a stripped-down mac and cheese with tons of cracked black pepper. It is super simple to make and even simpler to eat. It’s also very convenient because it doesn’t require many ingredients and takes almost no time to make, given the amount of mise en place you will need.
Once the pasta is ready you will want asses in seats. Sorry for the language but when it comes to eating hot fresh pasta I don’t mess around. Make sure your family or loved one is ready to sit down as soon as it hits the table. It is that good and deserves our fullest attention.
The recipe below fed four people. Feel free to double the recipe for a larger group or serve this portion as a side dish. If you have a different noodle preference then switch it up. It will taste just as good all the same!
Vegan Cacio e Pepe – RECIPE CARD
Vegan Cacio e Pepe
Ingredients
- 400 gr spaghetti
- 1 cup pasta water
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Pinch chili flakes
- ½ onion - diced
- 2 garlic cloves - minced
- 4 shiitake + 4 cremini mushrooms - sliced
- 3 tbsp vegan butter
- 1 tbsp miso paste
- ½ cup vegan parmesan - freshly grated if possible
- Tons of pepper
- Sea salt
Instructions
- Cook the pasta in heavily salted water, reserving one cup of pasta water before draining. Be sure to check the package instructions for the exact al dente cooking time, but this should take about 7-9 minutes.
- Add the oil and chili flakes to a Dutch oven over medium heat.
- Add the onion and cook until translucent (about 3-5 minutes), then add the mushrooms and garlic. (Tip: add an extra splash of oil if necessary)
- Cook until the mushrooms start to soften, then transfer them to a bowl.
- Add the vegan butter to the dutch oven. Once melted, add the cooked pasta.
- Add the miso to the pasta and toss to combine with a splash of pasta water. Add the mushrooms back to the pot, alongside the vegan cheese and a very generous pinch of pepper to taste.
- Add more pasta water to emulsify the sauce, then season with salt to taste and garnish with more pepper and vegan cheese when plating.
- Buon Appetito!
Notes
PIN/SAVE/SHARE THIS VEGAN CACIO E PEPE RECIPE
Recipe, text, and photography by Teri-Ann Carty.
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Sounds delicious! Do you have a certain vegan parm you recommend? I haven’t had much luck finding vegan cheese that I enjoy or that is worth the $$.