Who doesn’t love a good mac ‘n cheese? Vegan chef Jason Wrobel switches up the traditional comfort food recipe with vegan style and superfood ingredients. This just may be one of those moments in your life when you realize you’ve really outdone yourself!
Vegan Mac ‘n Cheese with Spaghetti Squash Noodles
Ingredients:
Cheese sauce:
- 1½ cups water
- 1½ cups soaked cashews
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon chickpea miso
- ¼ teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic granules
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1½ teaspoons paprika
- 2 teaspoons Himalayan crystal salt
- ¼ cup Sunwarrior Nutritional Yeast
Noodles:
- 1 spaghetti squash
- Whole cherry tomatoes to your preference
- Add all ingredients to 3 quart baking dish and mix with sauce
- Crushed pecans
Crispy sage leaves:
- 4 to 5 tablespoons oil—coconut, grapeseed, or safflower
- 10 to 15 sage leaves
Directions:
For the “cheese” sauce, add all the ingredients in that section to a high speed blender. Blend this into a creamy, saucy consistency (about 30 seconds or so) and set it aside while you finish cranking out the noodles.
To replace those elbows, you’ll cut a spaghetti squash in half and bake it for 30 minutes at 375° F. They’ll come out golden brown and soft, ready for you to spaghetti-ize. So grab a fork and scrape the squash out of the shell into a 3-quart baking dish—the healthiest instant noodles you’ll ever find.
Throw some whole cherry tomatoes on top of the noodles, and slather them all with a generous portion of the cheese sauce. For a nice smoky, roasty flavor, top your vego cheese with some pecans. Jam that puppy in the oven and bake it at 375° for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is nice and golden brown.
While our mac ‘n cheese is baking, we’ll make some crispy sage leaves to top it with. Grab your high-heat oil and pour it into a large skillet. Turn the stove on to a medium low heat and let the oil warm. Wash your sage leaves and add to the skillet in one layer. You’ll want to cook each side about 90 seconds (60 to 90 seconds each side is probably good). Lay them on a paper towel to dry.
Once your masterpiece is done, pull it out of the oven, plate it up, add crisped sage leaves, and take it to the face.
