Cover cashews with boiling hot water and set aside to soften for 10 minutes.
Heat a large pot of salted water and cook pasta according to instructions. When 4 minutes of cooking time remain, add broccoli to pasta. *Reserve two cups of pasta water prior to adding broccoli.*
While pasta is cooking, heat a large pan over medium heat. Once hot, add vegetable oil and sautee for 2-3 minutes or until onions begin to soften.
Add the chopped garlic, 1 tsp salt, garlic powder, and white pepper and stir to combine. Cook for two more minutes. Once garlic and onions are cooked through, remove from heat.
Once cashews are softened, place them in a high-powered blender along with the sauteed onions and garlic.
Remove one cup of pasta water, add the miso paste and stir to dissolve, then pour the miso water into the blender.
Add another cup of water, the nutritional yeast, ½ the lemon juice and the lemon zest, and blend until very smooth. Return blended sauce to the pan over medium heat, stirring regularly. Add more pasta water ¼ cup at a time until you reach your desired thickness.
Add cooked pasta and broccoli to sauce and toss to combine. Serve topped with a generous crack of black pepper and the remaining lemon juice.
