So excited to share this recipe with you all! This is my first attempt at a vegan mac n' cheese, and sometimes you just get it right the first time! This has the most luxurious, creamy sauce, and best of all - no dairy = waaaay less fat + calories! Basically, its guilt free ;)
Ingredients:
Sauce
- 6 tsp nutritional yeast
- 5 gloves garlic, chopped + sautéed in olive oil
- 2 heaping cups steamed kabocha squash (butternut or acorn would also work well)
- dash paprika
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
- 3 tbsp vegan butter (I used Earth Balance)
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped + sautéed in olive oil
- 1/2 cup plant-based milk
- squeeze of lemon, to taste
- 1/2 tsp apple cider vinegar
- himalayan pink sea salt + pepper to taste
- 1/3 - 2/3 reserved pasta water
Topping
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 2 tbsp melted vegan butter
- salt to taste
Etc.
- 10" x 6" casserole dish
- high-speed blender
- 3 cups dried macaroni
Steps:
Yields 6 servings
1. (Carefully!!!) cut open your squash. Leave the skins on. Dice into 1" cubes. Add 1/4 cup water to a pot, bring to a simmer. Add in the squash, put the lid on the pot, and steam for 5-10 minutes - or until squash is fully cooked.
2. Remove pot from heat and carefully skin the squash. Set aside.
3. Chop garlic + onion. Bring a saucepan over medium heat with about 1 tbsp olive oil. Add a dash of salt + pepper. Sauté until translucent. Set aside.
4. Bring a large pot filled with water to a boil - add in macaroni and cook until al dente.
5. Scoop out macaroni with a sieve and add to casserole dish. Reserve pasta water.
6. Add in the 'sauce' ingredients into a high-speed blender. Blend until smooth. Add in the desired amount of pasta water to achieve the consistency you desire.
7. Add the sauce to the macaroni, folding in until all the noodles are covered.
8. Mix the 'topping' ingredients in a small bowl; sprinkle over the noodles.
9. Broil on 'low' for about 10 minutes, or until the panko crumbs are golden brown :)
10. Serve by itself, with hot-sauce, ketchup, diced tomatoes, or whatever else you usually dress your mac n' cheese with!
Notes:
As stated above, any hard-skinned winter squash (besides spaghetti) would do the trick. I just happened to snag this HUGE (I'm talking a FOOT long) kabocha squash from Walmart for only $1.67 and thought it would be a good way to use up the rest of it! When re-heating a scoop of this in the microwave, I would recommend adding 1-2 tbsp of water to the bowl before adding in the macaroni as the sauce does tend to absorb into the pasta a bit. This will keep the sauce creamy + a good consistency. This will keep in the fridge for 5 days, but it probably won't last that long. It's just that good!
If you are unfamiliar with nutritional yeast, it is different than baker's and brewer's yeasts, and is a vegan-pantry staple! It offers a wonderful cheesy taste to many dishes. Packed with protein, trace minerals, B-vitamins, and flavour, it's really an all-around winner. You can pick some of this up at all major grocery stores - Save on Foods has it even in the bulk aisle for a dirt cheap price. This stuff is awesome on popcorn, in tofu-scrambles (I'll post a recipe soon!), in pasta, and pretty much anything else you can sprinkle it on!
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Love + light,
Antheia.
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