Baked Vegan Mac and Cheese with Broccoli
Ingredients
- 9 oz macaroni elbows or gluten-free pasta (250g)
- 2 cups broccoli florets
Vegan cheese sauce
- 4 oz russet potato
- 1 small carrot
- 2/3 cup raw cashews (100g)
- 1 cup water or more as needed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil or canola oil
- 1 onion
- 3 cloves garlic
- 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon mustard or 2 teaspoons white miso paste
- 1 teaspoon sea salt or to taste
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice or white vinegar
To serve
- 1/2 cup dairy-free cheese shredded
- vegan parmesan cheese
- fresh herbs
Preparation
In a large pot of salted water cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente, adding the broccoli florets to the pot in the last 2-3 minutes.
Preheat oven to 355°F (180°C).
Vegan cheese sauce
Add the potatoes, carrots, cashews and 1 cup of water in a pot. Cook for about 10 minutes, or until soft enough to blend.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and a pinch of salt. Cook until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook for another minute until fragrant.
Once the potatoes are done, carefully pour the whole mixtureinto a blender along with the sautéed onion, garlic, nutritional yeast, mustard, salt, and lemon juice. Blend until the mixture is completely smooth, about 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides. Add more water to desired consistency as needed. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Pasta bake
Once the pasta is al dente, drain the cooking water.
Add cooked pasta and broccoli to the skillet (which you used to cook the onion so you don't need to rinse it). Pour the vegan cheese sauce over the pasta and toss to combine. Sprinkle with dairy-free cheese or crumb topping as desired and bake for 10-15 minutes or until the cheese has melted.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with vegan parmesan.
