Vegan Pasta

Ingredients

• 1 pound (454 grams or 16 ounces) dry uncooked pasta (see note 1) (we used bucatini)
• 4 tablespoons vegan butter or 2-3 tablespoons vegetable broth (see note 2 for oil-free)
• 1 large shallot, very finely diced (or ½ medium yellow or sweet onion)
• 6-8 cloves garlic, peeled and minced (less or more to taste; we used 1 medium head)
• 1 ½ cups thick, creamy unsweetened non-dairy milk (see note 3 for suggestions)
• ¾ cup pasta water (taken from pasta, see step 2)
• ½ cup vegan Parmesan cheese, finely grated (we like Violife) (see note 5 for alternatives)
• 1 teaspoon agave or organic sugar, optional
• 3 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari for gluten-free), optional (see note 4)
• Sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and dried oregano to taste (we used ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper, and 1 teaspoon dried oregano)
• ½ teaspoon or more red pepper flakes, optional, to taste
• ¼ cup fresh parsley, finely chopped, optional