Lemon Miso Cavatelli

Rinse and dry all produce. Fill a large pot with water, season with salt, and place over high heat. Place the cashews in a small bowl and add ½ cup hot tap water. Let nuts soak for at least 10 minutes. Cut the eggplant into large cubes. Thinly slice the asparagus on the diagonal.

Add the cavatelli pasta to the boiling water. Cook until al dente, stirring occasionally; start tasting the pasta after 8 minutes. When the pasta is done, reserve ½ cup of the cooking water, then drain the pasta into a colander. Toss the pasta with 1 tsp olive oil to prevent sticking, and return to the pot, off of the heat.

Halve the lemon. Add the cashews and their soaking water to a blender. Also add the white miso, garlic clove, and just 1 tbsp lemon juice. Blend on high until smooth. Season with pepper.

Finely chop the walnuts. Place a large skillet with the vegan butter over medium heat. Once melted, add the panko breadcrumbs and chopped walnuts until golden brown. Remove from heat, stir in ¾ of the smoked nori spice and a pinch of salt. Transfer smoked nori panko to a small bowl.

Wipe the large skillet clean, return to medium high heat and add 2 tbsp olive oil. Once hot, add the cubed eggplant, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until charred and softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Thinly slice the scallion. Add the cooked cavatelli, asparagus, lemon miso sauce, and ¼ cup reserved pasta water. Cook until asparagus is just tender; 1 to 2 minutes.

Add the sliced scallion, chili flakes and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss pasta to combine, adding more reserved pasta water if your sauce is too thick. Divide lemon miso cavatelli between your plates and top with smoked nori panko. Squeeze additional lemon juice on top and sprinkle with remaining smoked nori. Dig in!