A vegan mac ’n’ cheese that is creamy, cheesy and packed with nutty flavors! This healthier version of a comfort food classic is free from nuts and gluten.
Featuring 7 simple ingredients and easy to make, this recipe is perfect for all of your mac ’n’ cheese cravings!
Here’s why you’ll love this vegan mac ‘n’ cheese:
Wholesome and healthy ingredients, like pumpkin, roasted garlic, and tahini, are key elements to the complex taste of the sauce!
I promise this pasta dish will satisfy all of your cheesy pasta dreams!
I love this recipe because it doesn’t contain nuts but still tastes cheesy, nutty and incredibly good. It’s hearty and satisfying yet very light.
How to make this vegan mac ‘n’ cheese:
The main ingredient to make this vegan mac ’n’ cheese is a pumpkin! Preferably roasted for extra flavor (or out of a can, see notes for more information), the pumpkin gives this pasta dish a boost of creaminess without making it heavy!
Tahini and roasted garlic bring a depth of flavors to this vegan mac ’n’ cheese. They both cancel the sweetness from the pumpkin and bring an extra layer of taste!
I used the entire head of roasted garlic, mainly because I do have a profound love with this stuff! Also, because it’s roasted, the garlic loses all of its sharpness and turns into a soft, caramelized paste with an incredible umami taste.
This recipe is as simple as dumping all of your ingredients in a blender and mixing until you get a smooth and creamy sauce. Toss with your cooked pasta and voila!
It’s incredibly deliciously as is, or topped with its flavorful crispy layer of panko breadcrumbs (for a gluten-free version, replace with GF breadcrumbs or crackers) and broiled for a couple of minutes!
Other pasta recipes you’ll love:
What you might need to make this mac ‘n’ cheese:
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A vegan mac ’n’ cheese that is creamy, cheesy and packed with nutty flavors! This healthier version of a comfort food classic is free from nuts and gluten.
- 3 cup pasta choose gluten-free pasta if needed
- 2 cup pumpkin purée or 1 small pumpkin (2 lbs)
- 1 head of garlic
- 1 cup soy milk
- 1/2 cup nutritional yeast
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp tahini
- 1 tbsp mustard
- salt
- pepper
- 1 tbsp coconut oil or vegan butter
- 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs or GF breadcrumbs
- 1 tbsp thyme
- 2 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- salt to taste
- pepper to taste
Preheat your oven to 170°C. and line a baking sheet with parchment paper (if using pumpkin purée skip the parchment paper and just preheat your oven)
Cut your pumpkin in half, using a sharp knife. Remove the top and bottom stems. With a spoon scoop out all of the strings and seeds. Cut into pieces and place them on your lined baking sheet.
Sprinkle the pumpkin with salt and pepper.
Wrap your garlic head in aluminum foil, and place it on your baking sheet (either alone if using pumpkin purée or along with the pumpkin pieces)
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until the pumpkin is fork-tender and the garlic is very soft to the touch. When ready, remove from the oven and set aside.
In the meantime, start making pasta. Bring to a boil, a pot of water sprinkled generously with salt. Add your pasta, and cook following the box instructions.
Once pasta is cooked, drain and set aside. You can drizzle some olive oil to prevent them from sticking (optional)
In a food processor, add cooked and peeled pumpkin pieces or pumpkin purée. Peel the roasted garlic and add along tahini, soy milk, lemon juice, nutritional yeast, mustard, salt, and pepper. Blend on high until smooth and creamy. Adjust the consistency by adding more soy milk if the sauce too thick.
Taste and adjust the flavors as needed. Add more salt for saltiness, tahini for a depth of flavors, lemon juice for acidity or nutritional yeast for a nutty/cheesy flavor.
Mix the sauce with the pasta. You can either enjoy this pasta at this stage or add the breadcrumbs toppings and broil.
For the crust, add coconut oil or vegan butter, panko breadcrumbs, nutritional yeast, thyme, salt, pepper, and garlic powder to a small mixing bowl. With a fork, mix until you get a crumbly texture.
Transfer to an oven-safe baking dish. Sprinkle with the breadcrumb topping and broil on high for 3 to 4 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Do not over bake or it will get dry!
Serve while still hot, garnish with fresh thyme, vegan parm or plain nutritional yeast. If you love spicy food, you can also add sliced jalapeño peppers on top!
- The pasta mixed with sauce leftovers can be kept in the fridge for up to 4-5 days.
- Leftover sauce can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.
- To reheat on the stovetop, add a splash of soy milk or water to your pasta to loosen it and prevent it from burning.
Check out our other plant-based recipes
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