Most of the vegans I know say that they don’t miss many foods from their past omnivorous lives, with one big exception: mac and cheese.
Mac and cheese is one of those things we all grew up with. It’s a delicious, comforting dish that always seemed to hit the spot as an after-school snack. But for vegans, good mac and cheese can be hard to find.
I’ve tried many of the boxed dairy-free mac and cheeses, but they always seem to taste very artificial and have a strange, pasty texture. I haven’t had much luck either with making cheese sauce from dairy-free cheese substitutes. Again, they just taste a little too processed.
But then I discovered blending butternut squash and soaked cashews together to make a base for vegan cheese sauce. Like a good cheese, cashews are rich and fatty; the butternut squash blends up to be nice and creamy, and a little bit of nutritional yeast adds that addicting, slightly salty finish that cheese has.
Vegan butternut squash cheese sauce is delicious and has everything you love about mac and cheese, plus everyone can enjoy it. Even if you’re not vegan, for the approximately 65% of adults who have trouble digesting lactose, this will be a lot easier on your stomach than a traditional mac and cheese.
About This Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
With the butternut squash and cashew base, this recipe adds some other ingredients for more flavour and texture. Dijon mustard adds tang, a little almond milk and vegan butter lends creamy richness, a pinch of turmeric tints it with a golden hue and a couple of chipotle peppers give it a smoky background and subtle heat.
To finish, this butternut squash mac and cheese is baked with breadcrumbs and herbs until crispy and bubbling hot. If you’re on a time crunch, though, you can skip the baking.
Sweet & Smoky Vegan Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
alternative!
Ingredients
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 1 small butternut squash split in half lengthwise with the seeds and pulp scooped out
- 1 pound 453 grams dry penne pasta or other noodle of your choice
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons vegan butter
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ½ cup almond oat, soy, or coconut milk
- 3 ½ cups water
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- ½ cup breadcrumbs
- 1 bunch parsley roughly chopped (optional)
- salt and pepper to taste
Directions
- Pour the cashews into a bowl or container. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and pour over the cashews. Allow the cashews to soak for one hour. As they’re soaking, begin to make the butternut squash cheese sauce.
- Preheat the oven to 425⁰F (220⁰C). Rub the butternut squash with enough oil to generously coat it and sprinkle it with a heavy pinch of salt and pepper. Lay the squash flesh-side down on a foil-lined sheet tray and pour 1 cup of water onto the tray. Roast the squash for 30-35 minutes or until soft, flipping halfway through cooking.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and boil the pasta to al dente according to the instructions on the packaging. Drain the pasta, toss with a little oil so it won’t stick, and set aside.
- Remove the cooked squash from the oven and allow it cool for a few minutes before handling. Drain the water from the soaked cashews. Once cool enough to handle, scoop the flesh of squash out from the skin and place into a blender with the soaked cashews and all remaining ingredients except for the parsley and breadcrumbs. Blend everything until very smooth, adding more water if needed. It may look a little watery but some of the excess liquid will cook off in the oven. Season to taste.
- Reduce the heat in the oven to 350⁰F (175⁰C). Pour the cooked penne noodles into a lightly greased 13×9 inch (33×23 CM) baking pan or other baking dish. Pour the sauce from the blender over the noodles and stir around to coat completely and evenly. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs and chopped parsley over the noodles in an even layer. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the noodles are bubbling hot. Serve while hot.