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Creamy Vegan Mac 'n' Trees
Creamy Vegan Mac n Trees
"A big reason why so many plant-based macs are underwhelming is because they’re too vegetable-forward. At the end of the day, blended carrots just aren’t going to stack up to the best dairy-based mac. That said, certain vegetables can act as a substantial and healthy base for a cheese sauce. For this recipe, butternut squash acts as a canvas. Make sure to use a high speed blender for the best texture. Your squash will blend into a beautifully silky sauce, but if you stop there, you’re essentially left with a thick butternut squash soup. To add layers of umami and cheesiness, I then add nutritional yeast, smoked paprika, and two bags (yes!) of vegan cheese. The result is a deeply rich and stretchy cheese sauce that’s indulgent and special."
Yields4 servings
Ingredients
- 3 cups butternut squash peeled and diced
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- sea salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 pound elbow macaroni
- 1 cup raw unsalted cashews
- 2 cups plant milk of choice
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 1 bag shredded vegan cheddar
- 1 bag shredded vegan mozzarella
- 1 (12-ounce) bag frozen broccoli
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First, roast the butternut squash. Preheat the oven to 425 F. Arrange the squash on a rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast until tender and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Remove and set aside.
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Meanwhile, cook the macaroni in a pot of heavily salted boiling water until al dente. Drain and return to the pot.
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While the pasta is boiling, make the cheese sauce. In a high speed blender, combine the cashews, plant milk, roasted squash, lemon juice, mustard, nutritional yeast, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika, and pepper and blend on high until very smooth.
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Add the sauce to the pot with the macaroni and stir to combine. Add the broccoli and heat over low for a few minutes to warm through. Add both bags of shredded vegan cheese and stir until melted. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
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