+QP +GF +SF
I scream, you scream, we all scream for MAC ‘N’ CHEEZE! Especially those of us with food allergies, dietary preferences or just a healthy appreciation for health. I decided to create a slightly spicy, flavorful, much healthier recreation of the old favorite. Loaded with secret ingredient goodies like nutritional yeast, tahini and turmeric, it’s worth more than you’d expect, too. The cheezy sauce is chock full of B vitamins and anti-inflammatory power just waiting to be gobbled up! —AS
SERVES 4 TO 6
12 oz (340 g) gluten-free pasta elbows
1 cup (110 g) raw cashews
1 cup (120 ml) unsweetened nut milk substitute of choice (we’ve used hemp, almond and walnut: all delicious!)
2 cloves garlic
⅓ cup (25 g) nutritional yeast
2 tbsp (30 g) tahini
3 tsp (15 ml) lemon juice
1 tsp ground turmeric
⅛ tsp cayenne red pepper
⅛ tsp smoked paprika
¼ tsp salt
⅛ tsp pepper
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the package. Gluten-free pasta, especially when brown rice based, tends to absorb more water than normal, so be sure to add extra water to the pot before boiling; it usually takes a few extra minutes for GF pasta to reach the al dente stage, too. And be sure to add a little salt to the water before boiling—it flavors the pasta.
As the pasta cooks, combine the raw cashews and nut milk in a blender or food processor. I never soak mine beforehand; I prefer the slightly thicker sauce that results from not soaking them in this recipe.
Once combined, add the rest of the ingredients. Yup, all of them. (Told you this recipe was easy!) Blend until combined. Set aside.
Once the pasta is al dente—literally meaning “to the bite” (Leave a little texture in that pasta! Don’t boil it into mushy submission)—strain, rinse and put it back into the pot. Pour in the cheeze sauce, using a wooden spoon to gently toss and coat the pasta.
Turn the burner back on to low and continue to cook the pasta and cheeze sauce together for about 3 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and sticks to the noodles.
Serve immediately: the best grown-up vegan mac ‘n’ cheeze you can imagine!
To reheat it, simply warm the pasta in a pan with a little nondairy milk, stirring until creamy. Mac ‘n’ cheeze saves well in a refrigerated space for about a week.