Creamy Vegan Lemon Pasta

A closeup of lemon slices on a bowl of pasta with fresh basil on top.

Creamy Vegan Lemon Pasta

You'll love the simplicity of this recipe to make a pasta dish you'll love any day of the week. Vegan cacio e pepe uses vegan parmesan melted into a creamy sauce and served over cooked pasta.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Diet Vegan

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 20

Resting Time 5

Total Time 30

Servings servings

Calories 561kcal

Author Marly McMillen

Ingredients

Cashew Lemon Sauce

½ cup raw cashews
5 cloves garlic peeled and chopped. (use fresh or roasted garlic)
2 fresh lemons
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes
2 teaspoons mild miso paste (see notes for substitutions)

Pasta

1 lb spaghetti (thick spaghetti, fettuccine, or linguine)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt to taste
Optional Toppings: see below or improvised vegan parmesan sprinkles, chopped fresh basil, chopped fresh parsley.

Cups - Metric

Instructions

For the Cashew Lemon Sauce:

MICROWAVE: Place cashews in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with water and cook in the microwave for 2 minutes. Allow it to sit in the microwave for several minutes until it's cool enough to handle. STOVETOP: Place cashews in a small saucepan and add water to an inch above the cashews. Cook over medium heat until it begins to boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for approximately 5 to 7 minutes until the cashews soften. SLOW SOAK: You can also soak cashews in the fridge. Put them in a lidded glass bowl and cover with water. Then add the lid and refrigerate for at least two ups (overnight is even better).
Cook pasta according to package instructions.
While the pasta cooks, drain cashews and transfer to a food processor. Immediately add chopped garlic to allow the heat from the hot cashews to tenderize them. Add the nutritional yeast flakes and miso (or whatever substitution you're using).
Zest one lemon and add 1 to 2 teaspoons of lemon zest to the blender. Cut the lemon in half and juice both halves. Add 4 tablespoons of lemon juice to the food processor.
After the pasta has cooked, add 1 cup of pasta water to the cashews in the blender. Pulse in short bursts to break up the cashews into small pieces. Use a spatula to wipe down the sides of the blender. Then pulse again until creamy.

For the Pasta:

Cook the pasta in a pot with salted water. Use the package as a guide, cooking the pasta until it's al dente (tender, but with a bit of a bite).
When the pasta is close to being done, remove two cups of the cooking water and transfer it to a heat-resistent bowl, such as a pyrex measuring bowl.
Cut the other lemon into slices.
Drain the pasta, then transfer it immediately back into the pan or a skillet. Add the olive oil, 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water, and lemon slices. Toss to coat.
Pour the creamy lemon sauce into the pan with the pasta and toss to combine.
Place the pasta on a plate and garnish with additional vegan parmesan, freshly ground black pepper, and some chopped parsley or basil.

Notes

Almond Flour parm

Combine 1/4 cup almond flour, 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast flakes, and a pinch of salt and pepper (to taste) to create an instant vegan parm that goes perfectly on top of this pasta.

Nutrition