Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese
Questa ricetta è disponibile anche in italiano
This vegan mac & cheese is super creamy, cheesy and luscious. Made with a secret, healthy ingredient to make it even more special and guilt free!
You cannot pass this utterly satisfying plant version of the world wide popular Mac and Cheese.
It's probably the best comfort food known to humans and you'll be amazed on how this recipe comes close to the "real thing" even though it doesn't actually have any cheese in it. I mean even vegan cheese.
We all know that the base for a good old macaroni and cheese is a white sauce or besciamelle. We are going to make a cheesy besciamelle with the amazing tapioca starch, that gives the perfect cheesy stretch and feel to the dish. As you are aware I often use tapioca in my cheesy preparation, you can find it for example in my Cauliflower Cheese, this Savoy Cabbage and Potato Casserole, this Vegetable Lasagna with Pesto and Cheesy Sauce, this mouthwatering Vegan Philly Cheesesteak, and obviously in my Ultimate Vegan Mozzarella Recipe.
As mentioned in the introduction this recipe contains a secret ingredient: Butternut Squash.
I LOVE working with this ingredient, that is probably (ok, definitely) my favourite in the squash and pumpkins world.
Some examples showcasing this gorgeous ingredient are this Stuffed Squash Wellington, a stunning centerpiece, these Homemade Gnocchi or these Ravioli, this Stuffed Roasted Butternut Squash and this Christmas-y Winter Veggie Lasagna.
Now I don't want you to be skeptical about this recipe. The main reason why I decided to share it on the blog is after my husband awarded it the best mac & cheese he has had since going vegan. He was completely unaware on what it was in it, he assumed it contained some sort of vegan cheddar or turmeric for the colour, and he was very pleased to discover that it was actually a healthier version to others I've been making.
So if anything we have to thank him for pushing me to publish this, after I put it together with some leftover steamed squash that was staring at me from the fridge, urging to be used up.
Another good news is that it can also be made completely gluten free too. The cheese sauce is already suitable for a gluten free diet, so you will only need to use gluten free pasta, even some pulse based ones, if you also want to pack some extra proteins.
If you're looking for even more reasons to make it let me tell you a few more:
1. It can be made in advance and cooked last minute.
2. It can also be frozen (both before or after baking).
3. It can last up to 4 days in the fridge, which makes it perfect for meal prep.
The baking step is actually completely up to you. I personally like finish it with some generous amount of vegan grated cheese on top and bake it until it goes super golden and crispy. But if you prefer, you can have it straight away before baking. It will be very creamy and succulent, almost impossible not to go for seconds!
Creamy Vegan Mac & Cheese Recipe
Ingredients:
350-400 g Macaroni Pasta
...for the sauce...
450 g Plant Milk (Soy, Unsweetened)
300 g Butternut Squash (Cooked Pulp)
50 g Tapioca Starch
3 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 tablespoon Nutritional Yeast
1.5 teaspoon Miso Paste (optional)
10 g Sea Salt
1 teaspoon Garlic Paste (or ½ teaspoon Garlic Powder)
¼ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg
...to bake...
40-50 g Vegan Grated Cheese
Method:
1. Bake or steam the butternut squash prior. Here's the fuss free method I use: place the squash over the steamer piece in the instant pot, and add a cup of water. Then set the pressure cook mode for 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the vegetable (20 minutes will be enough for a squash up to 1kg/2 pounds weight). Alternatively you can bake it in a 200°C (390°F) preheated oven for 40-50 minutes or until fork tender. Cool down at room temperature.
2. Meanwhile bring to boil abundant salted water for the pasta.
3. Scoop the pulp out and weigh 300 grams (you can use the rest to make vegan Gnocchi, Ravioli or Soup).
4. Add the pulp with the remaining ingredients of the sauce to a food processor and blend until smooth.
5. Transfer the mixture in a large pan or wok and bring to a boil while stirring constantly to prevent lumps.
6. Cook your macaroni al dente or according to the package directions and then drain well.
7. Meanwhile Preheat the oven at 180°C (355°F).
8. Add the cooked macaroni into the pot with the sauce and toss it up until they are evenly covered in the cheesy sauce.
9. Transfer the macaroni and sauce to a 20x30 cm baking ceramic dish or tray, smooth down and top with abundant vegan grated cheese.
10. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the topping turns golden brown and crispy.
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