30 minutes
A flavorful vegan spaghetti dish featuring a creamy sauce made from nutritional yeast, cashew butter, and white miso, with a touch of aromatic toasted peppercorns.
cups
Cashew Butter
cups
tablespoons
Whole Black Peppercorns, crushed
tablespoons
Dried Spaghetti
0 oz
Lemon Juice, optional
to taste
to taste
1. Boil Water
Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. This will ensure that your pasta cooks evenly.
2. Mix Miso Paste
While waiting for the water to boil, mix 1/3 cup nutritional yeast, 1/4 cup cashew butter, and 2 tablespoons white miso paste together in a small bowl. This mixture will become a creamy, umami-rich paste that will form the foundation of your sauce.
3. Crush Peppercorns
Next, crush 1 tablespoon of whole black peppercorns using the flat side of a knife or a pepper grinder. You’ll need these later to add a delightful, aromatic heat to the dish.
4. Cook Pasta
Once the water is boiling, add 16 ounces of dried spaghetti. Cook the pasta until it is about 2 minutes shy of al dente, following the package instructions. Before draining the pasta, reserve 2.5 cups of the pasta cooking water using a measuring cup.
5. Toast Peppercorns
Drain the pasta in a colander and set it aside. In the now-empty pot, heat 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add two-thirds of the crushed black peppercorns to the oil and toast them for 2-3 minutes, until they become fragrant and their aromatic oils are released.
6. Make Sauce
Whisk the miso mixture into 1.75 cups of the reserved pasta water until smooth and emulsified, creating a glossy sauce.
7. Combine Pasta and Sauce
Return the cooked pasta to the pot and toss it with the sauce over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes. This ensures that the pasta absorbs the sauce and flavors, with the sauce clinging nicely to each strand.
8. Serve
Serve the spaghetti in bowls, drizzling with a bit more olive oil and sprinkling the remaining crushed pepper on top. If desired, squeeze a bit of lemon juice over the pasta for an extra burst of brightness.
Sauté mushrooms with thyme until caramelized and stir them into the creamy base. This adds a deep, earthy flavor and a pleasant texture contrast.
Blend sun-dried tomatoes into your creamy base and finish the dish with lots of fresh basil. This will give the dish a Mediterranean twist.
Char broccoli in a very hot pan to get a smoky, crispy edge and mix it into the creamy sauce. You can also add lemon zest to the sauce for a fresh kick.
Sauté minced garlic and shallots before adding them to the sauce for a more complex flavor base.
Use the creamy base and incorporate sautéed vegan bacon or smoked tempeh for a meaty bite. Finish with black salt (kala namak) for an eggy flavor.
Choose high-quality dried spaghetti and source fresh, whole black peppercorns for a significant difference in your dish's flavor.
Cook your spaghetti al dente and reserve some pasta water to create a silky sauce that clings to the noodles.
Intensify their flavor and bring out a smoky, complex aroma by toasting them in a dry pan over medium heat until fragrant.
Season your sauce adequately with salt, tasting as you go, to ensure a well-rounded flavor profile.
Use soaked and blended raw cashews, silken tofu, or a high-quality vegan cream substitute for a rich texture.
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