HEALTHIER VEGAN MAC AND CHEESE WITH BUTTERNUT SQUASH
Tania Pilcher | Fit Foodie Nutter
This healthier vegan mac and cheese with luxuriously creamy & rich butternut squash sauce will become one of your family favourite go-to recipes. Who would have thought that this dairy free & no cheese alternative of the traditional mac n cheese can be so utterly delicious! Vegan, dairy free & can be made gluten free.
1medium squash (500g)peeled and cut in small chunks
2small onionsfinely chopped
1.5cup(160g) macaroni pasta
4tbsp(50g) cashews, soaked in hot water for 30 mins or in cold water overnightrinsed & drained
5tbsp(20g) nutritional yeast flakes (or to taste)
1/4tspground turmeric
1/4tspgarlic powder
1tbspsmoked paprika(not hot paprika)
1tspapple cider vinegar
1/4tspkala namak salt(or regular salt)
Around ½ to ¾ cup (120ml to 175ml)cooking water
Optional: fresh sage leaves to serve
Instructions
Place the squash in a saucepan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Once it starts boiling, add the onions, reduce the heat to medium, cover with a lid and cook until tender, for around 15-20 minutes. Reserve all the cooking water, we will use it to make the sauce.
In the meantime, cook the pasta in a separate saucepan until al dente. Drain and set aside.
Once the squash is cooked, drain it (reserve the cooking water) and transfer to a food processor. Add soaked cashes, nutritional yeast flakes, turmeric, garlic powder, paprika, vinegar, salt and blitz. Whilst the motor is running, start adding the cooking water, a little at a time, until you reach a desired sauce consistency. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning as required.
Transfer the sauce into a saucepan that you used for cooking the squash and heat up until it starts to bubble. Add the pasta into the saucepan and stir until it is well coated in the sauce. Add the reserved cooking water if you need to thin out the sauce.
Sprinkle with pepper, garnish with fresh sage leaves and serve.
Keyword Butternut squash mac and cheese, Healthy vegan mac and cheese, How to make vegan mac and cheese, Vegan butternut squash recipes