Vegan Mac N "Cheeze"
Recipe Courtesy of Alyssa Gagarin
- Preparation Time15 mins
- Cooking Time30 mins
- Serves3
- DifficultyEasy
Breadcrumb Topping
1 slice gluten-free bread
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Pasta
250g dried chickpea pasta or your favourite pasta
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 carrot, sliced
1 stalk celery, roughly chopped
280g peeled and cubed butternut squash
70g raw cashews
1 1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Torn fresh parsley leaves, for serving
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
- Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the diced onion and cook until softened, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the celery and carrots and cook until the vegetables have softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the butternut squash and cook until slightly browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Add just enough water (about 500ml) to barely cover the vegetables. Add the cashews and 1 teaspoon salt, bring to a boil and cook until the vegetables are tender when pierced with a fork, about 10 minutes, but cooking time will vary slightly, depending on the size of the vegetables.
- For the pasta: Salt the water and cook the pasta to al dente according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- For the breadcrumb topping: Roughly chop the bread and pulse in a food processor until the bread resembles coarse crumbs. Heat the oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, paprika and salt and toss to combine. Cook, tossing regularly, until golden and crispy, 3 to 5 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetable-cashew mixture to a blender along with the remaining cooking liquid. Blend until smooth, then add the nutritional yeast, garlic powder and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Blend until smooth, then taste and adjust the seasoning to taste.
- Pour the creamy sauce over the cooked pasta and toss to combine.
- Sprinkle with crispy breadcrumbs and parsley and serve.