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.

Print

MacaroNO cheese

A creamy butternut squash pasta bake, a twist on the classic.

Course Main Course
Cuisine Italian
Keyword butternut squash, cheese, macaroni, pasta
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Servings 4

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

  1. Preheat the oven to 200°c.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. 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.

  6. 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!