Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese

This dairy-free, nutrient-rich Mac and Cheese will be a satisfying addition to your next meal. I’m no fool, this doesn’t taste EXACTLY like a Kraft Macaroni and Cheese, but it is darn good and surprisingly simple to make.

Loaded with vitamin A from sweet potatoes, B vitamins from nutritional yeast, and unsaturated fats and fiber from the cashews… your plate will be more life-giving than the average batch of Mac.

In this recipe, you’ll notice I used Italian pasta. For those with Celiac, use gluten-free pasta, however if you don’t have a gluten issue or if it’s a very mild sensitivity it’s likely you’d do just fine with the organic durum wheat semolina. This wheat is not modified in the same way ours is here in the states. Italy has strict policies around the type of seeds and farming practices used by farmers. For high-protein pasta, opt for chickpea (from Banza) or lentil-based options!

Makes: 4-5 servings

Noodles:

12 oz macaroni noodles (I used organic pipe rigate from Whole Foods)

Cheese sauce:

• ⅓ c almond milk

• 1 c pasta water

• 3 T nutritional yeast

• 1 medium sweet potato (or 1 c butternut squash), peeled and cooked

• 1 c cashews (soaked in hot water for 30min)

• 1 roasted garlic clove

• 1 tsp mustard

• 1 tsp salt

• 1 tsp pepper

• ½ tsp smoked paprika (reg paprika will do just fine)

Directions:

1. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to pasta instructions.

2. Add sauce ingredients to your blender. Blend until smooth.

3. Add noodles to your dish, mix in the desired amount of sauce, and enjoy!