Vegan Scampi with Cashews

Don’t think you have enough time to make dinner? Think again! Flavorful vegan Scampi made with cashews takes just a few minutes to cook. Dinner will be ready before you know it! It's perfect for busy weeknights, but it's also great for date night and dinner parties. This easy recipe takes just about 10 minutes from start to finish. It's vegan with a gluten-free option.

Vegan Scampi made with Cashews

The first recipe I made from Hannah Kaminsky's 2018 cookbook Real Food, Really Fast was Cashew Scampi. Who can resist the combination of a sauce made with white wine and lemon juice combined with the flavorful salty goodness of miso and capers? And I pretty much never say no to a recipe with cashews.

In this dish, cashews take the place of the traditional shrimp. They’re boiled along with the pasta, which may sound a little strange, but trust me when I say that it’s amazing. Using nuts to take the place of meat isn’t really a new idea, but it’s pretty genius in this dish!

This dish really was really fast, living up the book’s title. It took about 10 minutes from start to finish, including chopping time for the shallots and garlic. Ordering takeout would have taken longer, so not having time to make dinner is no longer a good excuse for not cooking.

What You Need

You only need a few ingredients to make this recipe.

• Linguini, spaghetti, or fettuccini
• Raw whole cashews
• Olive oil
• Vegan butter
• Shallot
• Garlic
• Chickpea or white miso paste
• Nutritional yeast
• Dry white wine or vegetable stock
• Lemon juice
• Black pepper
• Fresh parsley
• Capers (optional)

See the recipe card for exact amounts.

If you follow a gluten-free diet, make sure your pasta is gluten-free. I used Banza chickpea linguine. This recipe also works really well with spiraled zucchini.

How to make Vegan Scampi

This recipe is super easy to make!

• First you boil the pasta and cashews.
• While the pasta is boiling, you make the sauce. You heat the oil and butter together in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. and sauté the shallot and garlic until fragrant and translucent, which takes about 2 minutes.
• Then you stir in the miso paste and nutritional yeast, mashing and mixing until they dissolve smoothly into the sauce.
• Next you quickly deglaze the pan with the wine, simmering for about 2 minutes.
• You add the lemon juice and pepper next, cooking for a minute or two longer for the flavors to meld.
• Finally you transfer the cooked pasta and cashews into the skillet and toss to thoroughly coat with sauce. You can add in a little reserved pasta cooking water if needed, and then you stir in the parsley and capers and serve right away.

Real Food, Really Fast

As a food blogger, my meals can sometimes be elaborate, with plates of full of veggie-filled paella or homemade polenta lasagna. But there are other times when I don’t want to spend lots of time in the kitchen. So dinner might be boxed mac and cheese with some pre-cut broccoli thrown in. Thankfully, I  have Hannah Kaminsky’s wonderful cookbook Real Food, Really Fast for those days when I want a quick dinner. No more boxed foods for me!

As you might have guessed from the name, Real Food, Really Fast is loaded with recipes that are ready super quickly. In fact, they’re all ready in 10 minutes or less! These meals are much tastier and much more healthful than anything you could order from a take-out restaurant. And they’re ready way faster than a delivery guy could get to your house with a pizza or Chinese food.

In addition to their speedy cook time, these recipes use easy-to-find ingredients that won’t break the bank. Most of the ingredients are staples that you probably already have on hand in your pantry anyway. 

If you’re new to vegan cooking, this book will help you get the hang of things. Hannah offers lots of cooking advice, and she includes lists of pantry and kitchen essentials. She includes tips on how to cook meals quickly, too.

Chapters in Real Food, Really Fast include:

• Warp-Speed Secrets and Fast Fundamentals
• Essential Equipment
• Ingredient Glossary
• Conversions and Equivalents
• Breakfast
• Snacks and Apps
• Salads
• Soups
• Sides
• Entrées
• Desserts and Sweets

Must have Cookbook!

I loved my vegan scampi, and have more recipes bookmarked. Future meals will include Everything Bagel Salad, Seitan Bulgogi, Pizza Waffles, and Garlic Bread Soup.

Real Food, Really Fast is a gorgeous hardcover book filled with Hannah’s own photography. This is a must have for busy days when it seems like there isn’t enough time to make dinner. It’s also perfect for lazy days when spending a lot of time in the kitchen is the last thing you want to do. It’s a terrific book for those who are new to vegan cooking and are feeling a little overwhelmed in the kitchen. Seasoned vegans who are looking for quick meals, will enjoy it, too.

Cashew Scampi

Hannah Kaminsky

Start with a mound of sautéed garlic, add pasta, and you’re already well on your way to crafting a fool-proof dinner. Variations on the concept are as numerous as the creatures in the sea. Case in point, shrimp scampi was always a big hit in my household growing up, a real savory indulgence reserved for special occasions. Though I was much more interested in the buttery noodles than the seafood, even before becoming vegan, I still find myself craving those same comforting flavors in both good times and bad. Suggesting that cashews could take the place of shrimp may seem like an impossible stretch, but hear me out on this one. Visually convincing with their perfect half-moon shapes, it takes just one little trick to bring the texture up to speed. Boiling the nuts alongside the pasta softens them to a more toothsome, chewy consistency, while maintaining a neutral flavor to absorb every drop of that luxurious sauce. Round out the meal with a green salad or fold in a generous handful of green peas if you’re concerned about meeting your daily recommended vegetable allowance.

5 from 1 vote

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4 servings

Calories 417 kcal

Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• ½ Pound Linguini, Spaghetti, or Fettuccini
• 1 Cup Raw Whole Cashews
• 1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
• 1 Tablespoon Vegan Butter
• 1 Medium Shallot Finely Diced
• 4 Cloves Garlic Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Chickpea or White Miso Paste
• 1 Tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
• 3 Tablespoons Dry White Wine or Vegetable Stock
• 3 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
• ¼ Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
• ¼ Cup Fresh Parsley Minced
• 1 Tablespoon Capers Optional

Instructions

 

• Begin by cooking the pasta first so that it's ready to go at the same time as the sauce. Bring a large stockpot of water to a boil and add in the dry pasta and cashews together. Cook until the noodles are al dente; drain, reserving ½ cup of the starchy water. Do not rinse the noodles.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil and butter together in a medium-sized skillet over medium heat. Sauté the shallot and garlic until fragrant and translucent; about 2 minutes. Stir in the miso paste and nutritional yeast, mashing and mixing until they dissolve smoothly into the sauce. Quickly deglaze the pan with the wine, simmering for about 2 minutes to soften the bite of the alcohol. Add the lemon juice and pepper next, cooking for a minute or two longer for the flavors to meld.
• Transfer the cooked pasta and cashews into the skillet and toss to thoroughly coat with sauce. Add in a splash of the reserved pasta cooking water to loosen up the sauce, adjusting the consistency to taste. Stir in the parsley and capers (if using) and serve right away.

Notes

Lighten up! Ditch the pasta in favor of spiralized zucchini noodles, or keep it simple by plating the scampi over gently steamed spinach. Just boil the cashews by themselves for 6 - 8 minutes before adding them to the sauce.

Reprinted with permission from Real Food, Really Fast by Hannah Kaminsky

Calories: 417kcal

Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!

More recipes from Hannah Kaminsky include:

• Harvest Pie from Sweet Vegan Treats
• Melted Truffle Dark Chocolate Ice Cream recipe from Super Vegan Scoops!

More  pasta recipes include:

• Pumpkin Pasta Carbonara 
• Lasagna Roll Ups
• Chickpea Tetrazzini 
• Pasta Primavera