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A ceramic bowl filled with butternut squash mac and cheese topped with sage leaves

Vegan Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 8 reviews
  • Author: Jessica Hoffman
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minute
  • Total Time: 30 mins
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
  • Category: Main
  • Method: Cook
  • Cuisine: American
  • Diet: Vegan

Description

You’ll love this delicious and healthy Vegan Butternut Squash Mac And Cheese recipe that is creamy, delicious and completely dairy-free! 

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1/2 cup raw cashews, soaked in water overnight then drained
  • 1 1/2 cups water
  • 1 cup cooked butternut squash, cut into cubes
  • 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • pinch cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp dijon mustard
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 2 cups dried macaroni or noodle of choice (use gluten-free if needed)
  • 1/4 cup pasta water (*once the pasta is done cooking, save 1/4 of the water.)
  • Fresh herbs to top (optional)

Instructions

  1. Place the cashews and water in a high-speed blender and blend until smooth and creamy (will take about 1 minute.) 
  2. Add the butternut squash, nutritional yeast, garlic clove, lemon juice, onion powder, nutmeg, cayenne, dijon and salt and pepper to the blender and blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. 
  3. Cook the macaroni according to package directions. Reserve 1/4 cup pasta water, then drain and set aside.
  4. Pour the butternut squash “cheese” sauce into a pot and bring to a light boil on medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly.
  5. Add the macaroni and pasta water to the pot and mix everything together. 
  6. Serve immediately. 

Notes

Make sure to use raw unsalted cashews in this recipe and to soak them overnight, or in hot water for at least two hours. This will help them blend up into a smooth and creamy cashew milk.

If you have the time, roasting the butternut squash will give it a really nice rich caramel-like flavour, which is delicious in this mac and cheese! You can alternatively microwave the squash to save time.

Cook the pasta just until al-dente (so it has a bit of a bit to it.) The pasta will continue to cook a bit when you mix it with the sauce, so if you cook it too much, to begin with, you will end up with a bit of a mushier texture pasta.

Don’t skip out on the pasta water! Pasta water is starchy and will help thicken the sauce up.

If you want to make this recipe nut-free, you can replace the cashew milk with coconut milk.

Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
  • Calories: 302
  • Sugar: 2
  • Sodium: 100mg
  • Fat: 10g
  • Saturated Fat: 2g
  • Carbohydrates: 42g
  • Fiber: 5g
  • Protein: 12g

Find it online: https://choosingchia.com/vegan-butternut-squash-mac-and-cheese/