Nut-Free Vegan Mac and Cheese
Ingredients
Vegan cheese sauce
- 2 cups potatoes, peeled and chopped (I used Yukon gold)
- 2 cup carrots, peeled and chopped
- 1 can (15.5 ounce) great northern beans (aka white beans) rinsed and drained
- 3/4 cup unsweetened plain soy milk or water
- 5 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
Other
- 1 pound dried pasta (I used shell pasta, feel free to use gluten-free)
- 2 tbsp vegan butter (optional, I use earth balance or miyokos)
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Preparation
Boil or steam the potatoes and carrots in a large pot for about 20 minutes or until soft.
In the meantime, cook the pasta according to package directions.
Meanwhile, place all the vegan cheese ingredients in a blender, including the cooked potatoes and carrots, and blend until smooth. Taste the sauce and adjust ingredients as needed.
Once the pasta is cooked, carefully spoon out about 1/2 cup hot pasta water into a cup and set aside. Then drain the pasta and return to pot. Add the vegan cheese sauce to the cooked pasta noodles, mix to combine. If the sauce seems too thick, add some of the hot pasta water to loosen it up. If you’re using gluten-free noodles, use regular hot water instead.
Then add an additional 2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast, salt, pepper, and 2 tablespoons of vegan butter (optional).
For leftovers, to reheat, add a little bit of plant-based milk or vegan butter if the sauce is too thick.
