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Creamy Cashew Udon with Crispy Mushrooms

From Hetty McKinnon an absolutely delicious pasta dish that uses cashews to create a creamy, decadent sauce, it’s vegetarian, it’s vegan, it’s yummy!
Prep Time1 hour 42 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Course: Main Course, one bowl meal, pasta
Cuisine: Asian-American, vegan, vegetarian
Keyword: Angel hair pasta, cashew, Creamy cashew sauce, mushrooms, Udon
Servings: 4 Servings

Ingredients

CASHEW CREAM

  • 1 cup raw cashews
  • 1 garlic clove coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
  • ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt

Chili Oil

  • 2 Tbsp. Chinkiang or Chinese Black Vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp. chili crisp or chili oil
  • 2 Tbsp. soy sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. toasted sesame oil
  • 1 scallion thinly sliced

The Shrooms

  • 2-3 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 lb. oyster shiitake, crimini, or button mushrooms, cut into bite-size pieces
  • 1 clove garlic finely chopped
  • ½ tsp. Diamond Crystal or ¼ tsp. Morton kosher salt plus more serving
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Noodles and Garnish

  • 28 oz. fresh or frozen udon noodles Substitute wide rice noodles for gluten-free option.
  • 2 scallions thinly sliced

Instructions

Cashew Cream

  • Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil, then remove from heat. Add cashews and let sit until tender, 30–60 minutes.
  • Drain cashews and transfer to a blender (preferably high-speed) or food processor. Add garlic, oil, salt, and ½ cup water and purée until smooth.

Umami Sauce

  • Stir vinegar, chili crisp, soy sauce, sesame oil, and scallion in a small bowl to combine; set soy-vinegar sauce aside.
  • Heat 2 Tbsp. olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high. Cook mushrooms, tossing every minute or so but leaving mostly undisturbed, until mostly golden and crisp, 5–8 minutes, oyster and shiitakes will cook quicker, while crimini and button mushrooms will take a bit longer. Add garlic and kosher salt, cook, stirring often, add additional tablespoon of olive oil if the mushrooms look dry.

Noodles

  • Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. You can use udon or any wide, thick noodle. For gluten-free option use rice noodles. Drain, reserving 1 cup cooking liquid.
  • Remove half of the mushrooms from the pan. Add noodles and cashew cream to pan with remianing mushrooms cook, stirring and adding reserved cooking liquid a little at a time, until cream is loose and coats noodles. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Divide noodles among bowls, garnish with reserved mushrooms generously drizzle each with reserved soy-vinegar sauce. Top with remaining scallions. Serve.

Notes

You could make this gluten free too!  Use a wheat free soy sauce, like a Tamari Sauce and a rice noodle for the udon. 
Blend the cashew sauce well, preferably use a blender or food processor.  Don’t be timid, you want a nice smooth sauce.