Butternut Squash Mac + Cheese [Vegan]

As promised here is the most delish vegan mac + cheese recipe! Paired with green peas, broccoli, kale and/or spinach- it is absolutely scrumptious and an easy way to get lots of veggies in.

Tip: We recommend using a high protein pasta if you are not going to add beans or meat. Two options would be black bean or chickpea pasta- just be sure you don’t overcook these kinds of pastas. They’re delish but when overcooked, quite icky.

ingredients

• 1 C potatoes [peeled and chopped]
• 1/2 C cauliflower [chopped]
• 1 C butternut squash [frozen, diced]
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 C yellow onion [chopped]
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp thyme [fresh- makes all the difference in the world]
• 1 box pasta [we used Banza aka chick pea pasta]
• salt and pepper to taste
• baby spinach, broccoli, kale and/or green peas [optional]

recipe

1. Place the potato, cauliflower, butternut pumpkin, garlic, thyme, shallot and cashews in a saucepan and cover with as much water as needed so that the vegetables are covered. Add a little salt to season and bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes until fork tender. Do not drain.

2. Place in a blender with 1 1/2 cups of cooking water with the all the rest of the ingredients except the macaroni. Blend until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary.

3. While the sauce is blending bring a saucepan of water to a boil. Once boiling add the macaroni and cook according to packet directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water.

4. Toss the pasta with the sauce until well combined. Add some of the reserved pasta water if you’d like slightly looser sauce  Add your favorite greens (if using) and serve.

   Modified Recipe: Delicious Everyday

We hope you enjoy!

-The Neilan Family-