Dairy-Free Mac and Cheese with a twist! The veggie-packed silky, "cheesy" sauce is loaded with broccoli and a spicy hit of black pepper. It can be ready and on the table in a little over 30 minutes!
PREP TIME: 10 minutesminutes
COOK TIME: 35 minutesminutes
TOTAL TIME: 45 minutesminutes
Servings: 4servings
Ingredients
2½ cups (600mls)water
1mediumpotato, peeled and cubed
⅓ cup (50grams)carrots, chopped
4clovesgarlic, chopped, (or use 1 teaspoon garlic powder)
3tablespoonsonion , chopped, (or use ½ teaspoon onion powder)
½smallgreen chile(optional)
1smalltomato, chopped
¼ cup (30grams)raw cashews , or macadamias (or ¼ cup pumpkin/sunflower seeds to make nut-free)
2 ½ cups (225grams)broccoli , chopped into bite sized pieces
¾teaspoonprepared mustard
2teaspoonssoy sauce , or tamari (or coconut aminos to make soy-free)
1 ½teaspoonsfreshly ground black pepper, or to taste, divided
12 oz (340grams)macaroni, gluten-free if necessary
INSTRUCTIONS
In a medium skillet over medium-high heat, combine the water, potato, carrots, garlic, onion, chile (if using), tomato, and cashews. Cover the skillet and cook 18 to 20 minutes, or until the potato is very tender. Let the mixture cool slightly.
Meanwhile, bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cook for 2 minutes. Drain the broccoli and set aside. Then cook the macaroni as per the instructions on the packaging. Usually it's for around 8 - 10 minutes. Alternatively, you can add the broccoli to the cooking pasta pot in the last two minutes.
Combine the potato mixture (along with its liquid), mustard, soy sauce, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, oil, paprika, and sriracha (if using) in a blender. Blend for 1 minute, let the mixture rest for 1 minute, and blend again until smooth.
Transfer the mixture to the saucepan over medium heat. Add the salt, white pepper, and ½ teaspoon of the black pepper, stirring to combine. Add some additional water to adjust the consistency if the sauce is too thick.
Bring the sauce almost to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Add the macaroni and broccoli. Stir to combine, cover the saucepan, and cook for 3 minutes. Let the mixture sit for 2 minutes. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon black pepper. Sprinkle some more pepper on each serving, if desired.