Lindsey Treffry | Crumbs
Lindsey Treffry | Argonaut
Preparing mac and cheese from a box is easy. There’s little fuss and little muss. But some days, especially the snowy and rainy ones, the boxed variety doesn’t cut it. Comfort food is what our bodies desire. This mac and cheese recipe is sans artificial flavoring, quick to make and doesn’t even need cheese to be creamy.
Ingredients
- 1 pound elbow macaroni (whole wheat or brown rice varieties work well)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 15-ounce cans full-fat coconut milk
- 1/3 cup nutritional yeast (can be found in grocery bulk sections)
- 1/4 cup finely ground cashews
- 1/2 t. Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 t. powdered garlic
- 1 tsp. sea salt, plus more to taste
- 1 tsp. parsley
- 1 tsp. basil
- Black pepper, to taste
- 3/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
Directions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil one 9- by 13-inch casserole dish. Set aside. Prepare the pasta according to instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Using a large saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the flour to the pan, whisking constantly with a wire whisk to avoid burning the flour. Gradually add the coconut milk, about 1/4 cup at a time until the mixture is thick. Add the nutritional yeast, ground cashews, tahini paste, Dijon mustard, onion powder, ground garlic, and salt. Add pepper to taste. Turn off heat.
- Add the pasta to the saucepan, mixing well.
- Place the saucy pasta in the prepared dish. Crumble bread crumbs on top. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Serve hot or save some for lunchtime leftovers.