Meera Sodha’s vegan recipe for golden garlic and lemon spaghetti

One of my favourite Italian restaurants in London is Trullo. My husband and I started going there when we first got together, and I’d always order the golden garlic and lemon pici. When they didn’t have it on the menu, I’d write notes for the waiter to give to the chefs, begging them to put it back on, because it was all I wanted to eat. It’s creamy, zingy and fresh, and a death row meal for me. This isn’t that recipe, but it has all the same qualities and is inspired by the many happy plates of pici I’ve eaten at Trullo over the years.

Golden garlic and lemon spaghetti

You’ll need a blender to make this.

Prep 5 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 4

300g packet silken tofu, drained
3 tbsp nutritional yeast
2 tsp white miso
¾ tsp ground black pepper
Juice and grated zest of 2 lemons – you’ll need 4 tbsp juice
8 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil, plus a little extra for the pasta
Fine sea salt
300g spaghetti
4 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
50g rocket leaves

Put the silken tofu, nutritional yeast, miso, black pepper, lemon juice, six tablespoons of the oil and a teaspoon and a half of salt in a blender and blitz smooth.

Bring two litres of water to a boil, add two teaspoons of salt and cook the spaghetti according to the packet instructions. Near the end of the cooking time, scoop out a mugful of the starchy cooking water, then drain the pasta and drizzle with a little oil.

Put the remaining two tablespoons of oil in a wide frying pan on a medium heat and, when it’s hot, stir in the garlic and cook for a couple of minutes, just to the point when it’s sticky and golden and smells of garlic bread. Tip the tofu mix into the pan, stir to combine, then add the pasta and mix well.

Add the reserved pasta water tablespoon by tablespoon to create a looser sauce, if need be (this may not be necessary), mix again, then take off the heat. Fold through the rocket and serve.

• Meera Sodha’s new book, Dinner: 120 Vegan and Vegetarian Recipes for the Most Important Meal of the Day, is published on August 1 by Fig Tree at £27. To order a copy for £23.76, go to guardianbookshop.com

• Discover Meera’s recipes and many more from your favourite cooks in the new Guardian Feast app, with smart features to make everyday cooking easier and more fun. Start your free trial today.