Esculent Eggplant - edible Southeastern Massachusetts

Ingredients

• 1 small to medium eggplant (I tend to use globe)
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon liquid smoke (a bit more or less to taste)
• 13.25 oz box of whole wheat pasta
• 2 big handfuls baby arugula
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes (halved)
• For the sauce:
• 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water for at least 2 hours (if using a Vitamix or high powered blender, you can skip the soaking))
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• juice of ½ lemon
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• salt and pepper to taste