MacaroNO cheese
Macaroni cheese was always a favourite in my house growing up so when I turned vegan it didn’t take me long to find a plant based alternative. I’ve played around with making it a few different ways and this recipe is one of my favourites even though it’s a twist on the classic, I just love butternut squash, so if I can get it into a pasta dish, I’m happy! This is a great one for families with kids, hidden veg is always a good way to get more veggies into their diet. This is a simple recipe, but a sensation for the tastebuds (and tastes a lot naughtier than it actually is!). I usually serve this alongside a jacket potato or a nice big salad.

MacaroNO cheese
A creamy butternut squash pasta bake, a twist on the classic.
Ingredients
- 1 butternut squash about 800g
- 1 tin coconut milk
- 250 g macaroni pasta
- 1 tsp dijon mustard scant tsp
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast
- fresh chives
- vegan cheese I used violife
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to season
Instructions
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Preheat the oven to 200°c.
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Peel the squash and cut into cubes, discarding the ends and the seeds. Line a baking tray with baking paper and cover with the squash cubes. Drizzle with olive oil and bake in the oven for around 30 minutes, until tender.
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Whilst the squash is cooking, get your pasta on and boil until al dente (a few minutes less than packet instructions) drain and pour into a medium oven dish and set to one side.
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Once the squash is tender, take it out of the oven (but leave the oven on) and leave to cool slightly. Once cooled tip the squash into a blender with the coconut milk, nutritional yeast, vinegar, mustard and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blitz all of this together until it becomes a smooth sauce. Check the season and add a little more salt or pepper if needed.
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Pour the creamy sauce over the pasta making sure it is all mixed in. Sprinkle over a little more nutritional yeast ("Nooch") then grate a good amount of vegan cheddar and sprinkle this on top too.
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Bake in the oven for around 10-15 minutes until it is looking a little crisp on top. Finish with some freshly chopped chives sprinkled on top. Enjoy!