Description
Enjoy a creamy, delicious vegan mac and cheese made entirely from plant-based ingredients. This recipe features a rich cashew cheese sauce blended with nutritional yeast and spices, combined with perfectly cooked pasta for a comforting, dairy-free favorite that’s easy to customize and perfect for any occasion.
Ingredients
Scale
Cashew Cheese Sauce
- 1 1/2 cups raw cashews*
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk (or neutral dairy free milk of choice)
- 1 jalapeño, chopped (deseed if sensitive to spice)
- 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 3/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper
Pasta
- 1 pound shell (Conchiglie) pasta* (or gluten free pasta if preferred)
To Garnish
- Freshly ground black pepper (as needed)
Instructions
- Soak Cashews: Soak the raw cashews in 4 cups of water for at least 2 hours. Alternatively, speed up the process by boiling the cashews in water over high heat, then turning off the heat and letting them sit for 30-45 minutes before draining.
- Make the Cashew Cheese Sauce: In a high-powered blender, combine the drained cashews, garlic, nutritional yeast, almond milk, chopped jalapeño, turmeric, paprika, onion powder, Dijon mustard, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Blend until a thick, creamy sauce forms. Add more almond milk if a thinner consistency is desired. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- Cook the Pasta: Prepare the pasta according to package instructions until al dente. Drain and return the pasta to the pot.
- Toss Pasta with Sauce: Stir the cashew cheese sauce into the hot pasta. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt or pepper as needed.
- Serve and Garnish: Serve immediately, garnished with freshly ground black pepper. Enjoy your creamy vegan mac and cheese!
Notes
- To make gluten free, substitute regular pasta with your preferred gluten free pasta.
- Customize your mac and cheese by adding veggies, or make fun versions like chili mac or taco mac.
- For make-ahead meals, prepare the mac and cheese, add an extra 1 cup of almond milk to the sauce, store in a 9×13 inch pan covered with foil in the refrigerator, and reheat by baking at 350°F for 30 minutes or until warmed through.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 420
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 520mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 18g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 45g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 15g
- Cholesterol: 0mg
