SophoodieMains · Vegetarian
Vegan Mac and Cheese
Although we're not vegan, I do like to create vegan dishes from time to time, especially when I am using up what we already have in our fridge and pantry. It also happens that Hannah Fagadau's birthday was yesterday, and she is lactose intolerant, so this is another way I am able to celebrate her. Happy birthday!!
Usually, a vegan cheese sauce consists of cashews (soaked overnight but I have a confession, I never remember to soak them, and to be honest it doesn't matter, but I digress...). To be a little different I decided to use white beans and, wow! I was very impressed. I do love a cashew cheese sauce, so I'll be creating a taco recipe with vegan cream sauce soon for the blog!
By Chef Sophie
Ingredients
Pasta and veggies
- 1 box of Banza Rigatoni or pasta of your choice
- 1 head of broccoli, cut into florets
- 1 lemon, zested and juiced
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
Sauce
- 2 cans of cannellini beans, rinsed
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar
- 1/4 cup of pasta water
- 4 garlic cloves
- 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast (seems like a lot, but trust me)
- 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard
- Kosher salt
- Pepper
Topping
- 1/2 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 tablespoon of Italian seasoning
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil
Directions
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted* water, stirring occasionally, until al
dente, about 7 minutes.
- Meanwhile, put the broccoli into a skillet with 1/4 cup of water with a tight lid on
top, and allow it to steam for 4 minutes.
- Once the broccoli is done, remove it from the heat and pour it into a clean bowl.
Mix with the lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, olive oil, kosher salt, and
pepper
- For the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend until
combined. Adjust seasoning according to your taste.
- Stir the pasta, broccoli, and sauce together. Pour the filling into an oven-safe
dish.
- To create the topping, pour the ingredients into a small bowl and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle on top of your "mac and cheese" and place the dish in the oven for 15
minutes to toast the top. Enjoy!
*Hot tip: properly salted pasta water should taste like the sea
First shared December 2020 · Updated June 2021