Easy Vegan Cacio e Pepe Bean Skillet! If you love bold peppery, “cheesy” flavor but want a fun twist, this vegan cacio e pepe with beans hits the sweet spot and feels like a real treat without the heaviness.

This Easy Vegan Cacio e Pepe Bean Skillet is your weeknight-friendly, lighter take on a beloved Italian classic—no dairy or pasta required. Instead of traditional pasta, this version uses beans and cashew sauce to create a creamy, satisfying bowl that still delivers that signature “cheese and pepper” vibe. It’s incredibly easy to make, lower in fat, and intensely packed with freshly cracked black pepper flavor, making it a delicious, healthy comfort meal when you want something quick, no-fuss, and honestly just plain tasty.

Whole Food Plant Based, Vegan, plant based, oil free, refined sugar free, no highly processed ingredients and gluten free.

Hi there, Ameera here!

We actually have a vegan cacio e pepe pasta dish we love, and we wanted to recreate that same creamy, pepper-forward magic in a bean-based bowl—and this one really hit the spot.

Honestly, the cashew butter is the secret weapon: it’s pretty much a neutral nut butter, so it brings rich, indulgent creaminess without overpowering the flavor the way almond butter sometimes can. We kept it simple and used only 1 tablespoon, because we were aiming to reduce the fat as much as possible while still getting that luxurious texture.

And don’t skip the finishing touch, freshly cracked black pepper truly makes a difference. The flavor is so much brighter than pre-ground pepper, and that’s what makes the dish taste restaurant-level. We loved this vegan cacio e pepe bean dish, and you’ve gotta give it a try!

Tips for Success:

• Flavor Profile: Traditional Italian Cacio e Pepe is made with Parmesan and Pecorino cheeses and black pepper. Cacio e pepe literally means cheese and pepper. This Whole Food Plant Based version is lower in fat and the sauce is thinner and instead of pasta, white beans are used. Black pepper is the primary flavor component, so if you are not a black pepper fan, then consider skipping this recipe.
• White Beans: We used Great Northern Beans. Feel free to use your favorite white beans like cannellini, navy, or chickpeas.
• Freshly Cracked Black Pepper: We strongly suggest using freshly cracked black pepper as when you grind peppercorns in your own pepper mill, you expose the sealed un-oxidized center releasing all of the rich flavor and a variety of benefits. For this reason, is why freshly cracked pepper tastes so much better than pepper that has already been ground. Additionally, some peppercorns have no heat while others really pack some heat, test the heat level by tasting a tiny amount of the freshly ground black pepper.  If unsure, start on the low end and build from there.
• Sauce: Initially, the sauce will be very thin and watery. That is because we are only using 1 tablespoon of cashew butter to keep the fat content on the lower side.  We use a cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. If you wish, you can smash a good amount of beans instead of making a cornstarch slurry.  The sauce will start to thicken as it slightly cools. The longer it sits, the thicker the sauce will become.
• Cashew Butter Substitutes: You can try other nut or seed butters with the understanding that the texture and flavor will change accordingly.  We feel cashew butter is superior to any alternatives for this recipe.
• Sea Salt: Our family was completed divided over the amount of sea salt for this dish.  Start on the low side since miso paste can be salty, build up from there.

Leftovers and Freezing:

Leftovers will generally keep for 4-5 days in the refrigerator.  Store in a covered container.  Reheating can be done on the stovetop, or in the microwave.

This dish can be frozen; however, it is best if served immediately after making or after refrigerating leftovers.  Pasta does tend to get a little mushy after freezing.

Pantry Products:

• Vegetable Stock: We use Pacific Organic Low Sodium Vegetable Stock. We love this brand because it is Whole Food Plant Based compliant, as it does not contain MSG, has no oil, and does not contain any highly-processed ingredients.
• Miso: We used Miso Master Organic Mellow White Premium Lite Miso, Certified Gluten Free.  Miso really lends itself to balancing flavors when you don’t use oil.  You can also use chickpea miso for a soy free version.
• Cashew Butter: We used Artisana Organic Raw Vegan Cashew Butter.  Feel free to use your favorite raw cashew butter in this recipe.  Read the label, make sure the only ingredient is raw cashews.  Do not use a salted or sweetened cashew butter.

Kitchen Equipment:

• Large skillet

If you try this flavorful dish, we would love to know if you enjoy it as much as we do! Please leave us a review! Post a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag us! We would love to hear from you.

Easy Vegan Cacio e Pepe Bean Skillet (Cheese and Pepper)

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• Author: Monkey and Me Kitchen Adventures
• Prep Time: 5 Minutes
• Cook Time: 30 Minutes
• Total Time: 35 Minutes
• Yield: 4 1/2 Cups 1x
• Category: Dinner
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Italian Inspired
• Diet: Vegan

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Description

This Easy Vegan Cacio e Pepe Bean Skillet is your weeknight-friendly, lighter take on a beloved Italian classic—no dairy or pasta required.

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Ingredients

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 Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 cups water
• ¾ cup low-sodium vegetable broth *
• ¼ cup nutritional yeast
• 1 Tablespoon white miso paste*
• 1 Tablespoon cashew butter *
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• ¼ to ¾ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
• ¼ to ¾ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper * 

Other Ingredients

• 3 – [ 15.5 oz. cans ] white beans, drained and rinsed *

Cornstarch Slurry:

• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
• 2 teaspoons water

Optional Toppings/Serving Ideas:

• Freshly cracked pepper
• Freshly chopped parsley
• Chunk crusty bread (or flatbread, boiled rice or quinoa)

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Instructions

1. In a large skillet, place all the Sauce Ingredients, stir well. Heat over medium-high heat until the sauce comes to a low boil, whisk well until all the cashew butter and miso have dissolved smoothly into the sauce; stirring constantly. Then lower the heat and simmer for several minutes.
2. Next add the drained and rinsed white beans to the skillet with the sauce. Stir well. Then simmer over medium-low heat with a low-percolating boil for 10 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, make the Cornstarch Slurry by placing the cornstarch (or arrowroot powder) into a small bowl, then whisk in the water. Whisk until all the cornstarch has dissolved into the water.
4. Increase the heat to boiling for the skillet, then add the cornstarch slurry, stir constantly until the sauce has thickened. Once thickened, lower the heat back down and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Remove the skillet from the stove and allow to sit and slightly cool for 5 minutes, allowing the flavors to marry and the beans to absorb some of the sauce. Then serve with an additional sprinkle of freshly cracked pepper and chopped fresh parsley, and a hunk of crusty bread.

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Notes

Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used. 

Sea Salt:  Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.

Servings: 4  (Makes 4 ¼ cups)

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