Finishing a pasta dish with a generous sprinkle of grated Parmesan cheese, parmigiano reggiano, can elevate it beyond simplicity; pasta cooked, drained and tossed in olive oil becomes a meal when you add Parmesan and a teaspoon of peperoncino flakes.

The tart, savouriness of the real thing is almost captured in this plant-based alternative. The nutritional yeast and the cashews bring their own benefits of good fats, minerals and B vitamins. Yes, it contains a whole teaspoon of salt but it will serve 4-6 meals so that’s not too bad.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 mug of cashews

1/2 mug nutritional yeast, not packed

1 heaped teaspoon garlic granules, the kind made solely from dried garlic

1 teaspoon sea salt

METHOD

Place all ingredients in a high powered blender, blitz until the texture is uniformly like grated Parmesan, see photo above. Sprinkle with a spoon and a generous hand on pasta, salads and anything else you like.