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Vegan Mac and Cheese (with nut-free option)

Author : Ashley Madden
Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Servings: 6
Course: Main Course, Pasta
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cheese sauce, pasta
5 from 3 votes
This is the easiest vegan Mac and cheese. It's also the cheapest to make and is cashew-free with a completely nut-free option. 

Equipment

  • BLENDER

Ingredients
  

  • Sauce
  • cups diced sweet potato (peel on or off) ~ 1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or soy milk plus more if needed
  • 6 tablespoons nutritional yeast
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce if not gluten-free
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon dried thyme
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ½ teaspoon Himalayan or sea salt
  • Pasta
  • 1 pound brown rice macaroni or other macaroni pasta if not gluten-free
  • 1/4 cup Almond Parmesan omit for a nut-free option
  • Optional additions: 2 cups cooked chickpeas

Instructions
 

  • Add the sweet potatoes to a medium pot of salted water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, reduce to a rapid simmer and simmer for 7-10 minutes, until the sweet potatoes are tender and easily pierced with a fork. Drain the potatoes and add to a blender.
  • Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the blender and blend on high until completely smooth. Add more almond milk, one tablespoon at a time, as needed to achieve desired consistency. You want the texture to be something like a loose pudding. Set the sauce aside.
  • Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook according to directions. I used gluten-free macaroni which called for a cooking time of 8 minutes. Once cooked, drain the pasta rinse it with water and return it to the pot.
  • Add about half sauce and stir. Add a ¼ cup of Almond Parmesan (from The Plant-Based Cookbook), stir again and add as much additional sauce as desired and mix well. I like mine creamy and add most of the sauce. Divide among bowls and top with additional vegan parmesan.
Keyword cheese sauce, pasta
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