Butternut Cashew Mac&Cheese Recipe

If there is one comfort food that defined my childhood, it was mac & cheese. I remember my mom's famous recipe: fresh pasta with layers of different cheeses, and topped off with breadcrumbs to give the dish an extra crunch. Not too long after going vegan, I couldn't see how I could possibly recreate that same dish. I mean, what makes mac & cheese, "mac & cheese" was something that obviously wasn't vegan: CHEESE!

I thought my hopes were lost, until I found this Mac & Cheese recipe from Rich Roll's recipe book: The Plantpower Way.

This recipe was inspired and based off of the recipe in his book. For the record, it doesn't taste much like my mom's famous mac & cheese, but trust me- it does wonders to your taste buds. For this recipe I have been using brown rice pasta and it just helps to make the texture of the entire dish super creamy and satisfying. Not to mention the sauce is super easy to whip together!

I made a YouTube on how to make the recipe, so if you're interested in watching how to make it, feel free to check it out! :)

Butternut Cashew Mac&Cheese

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Servings: 6

Ingredients

• 1 cup of cubed butternut squash

• 1/2 cup of cashews

• 2 Tbsp Nutritional Yeast

• 1 cup of water

• dash of salt + more for garnishing

• 12 oz pasta of choice (I use this brand)

Procedure

1. Peel and cube the butternut squash and cook for about 30-40 minutes at 400 degrees Fahrenheit (*note- there are seeds in butternut squash so you will have to scoop the seeds out before you cube it!)

2. While that is cooking, bring a pan of Water to a boil and then add your pasta of choice, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick to the pan.

3. To make the sauce, add 1/2 cup of cashews and nutritional yeast. Blend until a meaty texture forms.

4. Once the butternut squash is done cooking, add 1 cup of butternut squash and 1 cup of water. Blend until combined, adding the salt to taste as well!

5. Once you’ve drained the pasta (the pasta should take about 15 minutes to cook), add it back to the pan and pour the cheese mixture on top.

6. Stir together until well combined.

7. Serve with a side of steamed broccoli or other veggies!

8. Enjoy!!!

***Note: I would recommend to buy already cubed butternut squash or frozen butternut squash, for it saves a lot of time in the kitchen if you're in a rush!