If you thought comfort food could never hit the spot without swimming in a pool of cheese, this dish right here will singlehandedly change your mind. Whip up a batch of my veggie-packed Creamy Pumpkin Cheese Sauce, grab some whole grain pasta and a fork, and prepare to be wowed. Full of fiber and vitamin A, along with plenty of nutritional yeast and spices to get the taste you know and love, this dish is nutritious, flavorful, and oh so hearty.

Whole Food Plant-Based, Vegan, Oil Free, Refined Sugar Free, Gluten Free.

When you see this macaroni and “cheese” in a photo – or better yet, on your plate – you’d swear it was the dairy-filled comfort dish of your youth. And while it definitely hits a lot of the same notes taste-wise, this version is far more nutritious than anything you’d find in a box.

It’s incredibly simple to make if you already have my Creamy Pumpkin Cheese Sauce on hand, but if you don’t, it’s well worth whipping up a batch of it specifically for this recipe. You won’t regret it!

Let’s talk about the tapioca starch in the recipe for the “cheese” sauce.

I know that sometimes it’s tempting to substitute ingredients, especially when you have something that seems similar on hand, but this is one ingredient that I urge you not to switch. It’s worth tracking down some tapioca starch or flour because other types just won’t give you the elasticity and mouthfeel that you’d expect from macaroni and cheese.

One of the best things about this dish in my book is the fact that it has a lot of vegetables you can’t really see, like pumpkin and red peppers. Speaking of pumpkin, you could just as easily use butternut squash in the sauce – both are great sources of vitamin A, but the squash will give you more fiber.

And while it’s certainly nutritious enough on its own, this is a great base for veggie fans to add what they like. I’ve tried it with broccoli, grilled mushrooms and green peas on different occasions and all of these additions worked really well. You could even top it with toasted whole grain breadcrumbs if that’s how you like your mac and cheese. Make it your own!

Ingredients:

Serves 2
-Creamy Pumpkin Cheese Sauce

-250 grams (approx. half a pound) whole grain pasta of your choice (gluten free, if necessary)

Method:

1. Prepare the Creamy Pumpkin Cheese Sauce by following the recipe here. You’ll need the whole batch for 2 servings of mac and cheese. If you’ve already prepared this in advance and it’s sitting in your fridge, heat it up in a straight-sided pan for a few minutes until it’s warm.

2. Cook the pasta according to the package directions, minus 2 minutes. Save ¼ cup of the pasta water, then rinse and drain the pasta.

3. Add the pasta to the pan and mix it in with the Creamy Pumpkin Cheese Sauce until well-combined.

4. Serve immediately and enjoy your Vegan Mac and Cheese!

Nutrition Facts (per serving):

Calories: 770
Carbs: 146 g
Protein: 31.8 g
Fats: 8.4 g
Fiber: 23.1 g