Vegan Mac N "Cheeze"

Recipe Courtesy of Alyssa Gagarin

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1 slice gluten-free bread

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

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.