Porcini Mushroom Cacio e Pepe

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2 min read
Summary

Cacio e Pepe is traditionally pasta made with parmesan cheese and black peppercorns plus either butter or olive oil. We have kept the black peppercorns and offered vegan parmesan as an option, but truthfully, the porcini cashew butter gives this dish so much flavor that you may decide to enjoy it without the parm! This dish demonstrates the versatility of mushrooms. Whether they’re blended versus whole or baked versus sautéed or enjoyed solo versus part of an elaborate dish, they have so much to offer!

Yields4 ServingsPrep Time25 minsCook Time25 minsTotal Time50 mins

Porcini Mushroom Cacio e Pepe

Ingredients

 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms (rehydrated, see Chef’s Notes)
 16 oz whole grain pasta (cooked, see Chef’s Notes)
Porcini Cashew Butter
 ¾ cup shallots (roughly chopped)
 2 tbsp garlic, roughly minced (about 6 medium cloves)
 3 cups vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)
 1 cup cashews (soaked in water for 2 hours )
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
 3 cups spinach (chopped) + 1 cup as needed
 ground black pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
 crushed red pepper (optional) to taste
 1 batch Vegan Walnut Parmesan (optional) link in Chef’s Notes

Directions

1

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms for 60–90 minutes, reserving the water. See Chef’s Notes.

2

Cook the pasta: Add the porcini water that you reserved as part of the pasta water and cook the pasta according to directions. Also, when draining the pasta, reserve one cup of the pasta water. Set aside the pasta and the reserved one cup of water.

3

Make the Porcini Cashew Butter: Heat a medium stove-top pan on medium-high heat.

4

Once hot, add the shallots and continuously stir for 30–60 seconds.

5

Deglaze the pan with 2–4 tablespoons of water and turn the heat down to medium.

6

Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 60 seconds. Add more water to prevent sticking, if needed.

7

Add the vegetable broth and cashews and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid will reduce by about 25 percent.

8

Add the cashew mushroom mixture and salt, if using, to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

9

Add the one cup of the pasta cooking liquid to the stovetop pan you used for the mushrooms, heating on medium heat. Add the cooked pasta followed by the spinach and cook until the spinach is tender, about 1 minute. Stir in the sauce until everything is warmed through. If the sauce is too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth until you reach the desired consistency.

10

Divide between plates and top with freshly ground peppercorns and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Chef's Notes

Substitutions
Use another mushroom of choice for the porcini mushrooms, such as cremini, chanterelle, or portobello.

Substitute zucchini noodles or legume pasta for the whole grain pasta.

Instead of shallots, use white or yellow onion.

Substitute another leafy green of choice in place of spinach.

For the pasta, use organic linguine, spaghetti, shells, or any pasta you love.

Nut-Free
Use raw sunflower seeds in place of cashews.

Hydrating Porcini Mushrooms and Using the Liquid for the Pasta
Soak the dried mushrooms in enough water to completely submerge them for 60–90 minutes. A bit of dirt and debris may come off in soaking (it’ll sink to the bottom). Reserve the soaking liquid but leave approximately 1” of the bottom water where the debris has settled. Use this porcini soaking water as part of the cooking liquid for the pasta to give the pasta more flavor.

Prep Ahead
Soak and drain the mushrooms ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 48 hours before making the recipe.

Make the porcini cashew butter ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days before making this dish.

Make the Vegan Walnut Parmesan ahead of time and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to two weeks before making this dish.

Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Ingredients

 1 oz dried porcini mushrooms (rehydrated, see Chef’s Notes)
 16 oz whole grain pasta (cooked, see Chef’s Notes)
Porcini Cashew Butter
 ¾ cup shallots (roughly chopped)
 2 tbsp garlic, roughly minced (about 6 medium cloves)
 3 cups vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)
 1 cup cashews (soaked in water for 2 hours )
 ¼ tsp salt (optional)
 3 cups spinach (chopped) + 1 cup as needed
 ground black pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
 crushed red pepper (optional) to taste
 1 batch Vegan Walnut Parmesan (optional) link in Chef’s Notes

Directions

1

Soak the dried porcini mushrooms for 60–90 minutes, reserving the water. See Chef’s Notes.

2

Cook the pasta: Add the porcini water that you reserved as part of the pasta water and cook the pasta according to directions. Also, when draining the pasta, reserve one cup of the pasta water. Set aside the pasta and the reserved one cup of water.

3

Make the Porcini Cashew Butter: Heat a medium stove-top pan on medium-high heat.

4

Once hot, add the shallots and continuously stir for 30–60 seconds.

5

Deglaze the pan with 2–4 tablespoons of water and turn the heat down to medium.

6

Add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for 60 seconds. Add more water to prevent sticking, if needed.

7

Add the vegetable broth and cashews and bring to a simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. The liquid will reduce by about 25 percent.

8

Add the cashew mushroom mixture and salt, if using, to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Set aside.

9

Add the one cup of the pasta cooking liquid to the stovetop pan you used for the mushrooms, heating on medium heat. Add the cooked pasta followed by the spinach and cook until the spinach is tender, about 1 minute. Stir in the sauce until everything is warmed through. If the sauce is too thick, add 1–2 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth until you reach the desired consistency.

10

Divide between plates and top with freshly ground peppercorns and crushed red pepper flakes, if desired.

Notes

Porcini Mushroom Cacio e Pepe