Vegan Cacio e Pepe

RECIPE BY @TERIANNCARTY

Cacio e Pepe, literally means "cheese and pepper" in Italian. It is similar to carbonara, only that it lacks eggs to make it. Give this classic Italian pasta dish a try - it is easy to make, using just a few ingredients already in your pantry. 

INGREDIENTS

• 400g spaghetti
• 1 cup pasta water
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• a pinch of chili flakes
• 1/2 onion diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 shiitake
• 4 cremini mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tbsp vegan butter
• 1 tbsp miso paste
• 1/2 cup vegan Parmesan (freshly grated if possible)
• lots of pepper
• sea salt

METHOD

1. Cook pasta in heavily salted water. Reserve 1 cup of pasta water before you drain. I use gluten-free pasta, so I rinse it after cooking. If you are using normal pasta no need to drain it.
2. Add oil and chili flakes to a Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add mushrooms and garlic. Add a splash of more oil if necessary. Cook until mushrooms start to soften. Transfer them to a bowl. Add butter into the pot.
3. Add cooked pasta to the melted butter. Add miso to pasta and toss to combine with a splash of pasta water. Add mushrooms back to pasta and add cheese and tons of pepper.
4. Add more pasta water to emulsify the sauce. Add salt to taste and garnish with more pepper and cheese when plating.

Teri-Ann | @terianncarty | www.terianncarty.com

Teri-Ann is a food photographer, recipe developer and yoga teacher from Toronto, Canada. Teri-Ann adopted a vegan lifestyle 9 years ago soon after she got sober and broke free from a debilitating alcohol and drug addiction. She wanted to cleanse her body from the inside out and choosing a plant-based diet was one of the ways she achieved that. Teri-Ann now spends most of her days developing recipes, styling dishes, and shooting photographs for numerous clients as she builds her personal brand.