Dairy-Free Cacio e Pepe

Nutrition · per serving

Steps

1. 1

   Blend the white beans, nutritional yeast flakes, garlic, 1 tbsp olive oil, lemon juice, and 3 tbsp water until completely smooth. The cream should be thick and silky.

   120 g White beans, drained25 g Nutritional yeast flakes1, finely grated Garlic clove2 tbsp Olive oil1 tsp Lemon juice
2. 2

   Bring a large pot of water to the boil and add the salt. Cook the spaghetti until just al dente, reserving about 150 ml of the cooking water. Keep the water only lightly salted, as the nutritional yeast is already quite savory.

   200 g Spaghetti10 g for the cooking water Saltabout 150 ml Pasta cooking water
3. 3

   While the pasta cooks, heat the remaining olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Toast the black pepper for 30 to 45 seconds, until fragrant but not darkened.

   2 tbsp Olive oil2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
4. 4

   Add the drained spaghetti to the pan. Spoon the bean cream over it and toss vigorously with about 100 ml of the cooking water. Gradually incorporate more cooking water until you have a glossy, creamy sauce.

   200 g Spaghettiabout 150 ml Pasta cooking water
5. 5

   Divide the pasta between two warmed plates and serve immediately with extra freshly ground pepper.

   2 tsp Freshly ground black pepper

Origin & History

Cacio e pepe comes from Rome and literally means cheese and pepper. The original dish is built around Pecorino Romano, black pepper, and starchy pasta water; this version replaces the cheese, to keep it dairy-free, with white beans and nutritional yeast flakes.