Vegan Mac and Cheese

Ok, let's be real for a second here. This 'Mac and Cheese' contains some mac but no cheese. 

 BUT, it will give you the same fuzzy, warm feeling the folks at Kraft have always promised minus the bloating, bubbling layer of grease and the gnawing sense of regret that will follow you to the gym for the entire week as you try to 'exorcise' (*BADDUM TCH!*) those cheesy demons! 

Or maybe that's just little old self-loathing me... I should really work on that... 

Either way though, this dish is legitimately the bomb dot com! Its not only VEGAN but also GLUTEN-FREE and pretty low in fat, especially when compared with its traditional counterpart. Rather than a cheesy, floury sauce it uses fresh pumpkin roasted with garlic and spices, almond milk and nutritional yeast for that familiar cheddar' flavour. Plus I served it in an edible pumpkin bowl so you know... its got that cute yet practical factor going on.

Honestly, this recipe is so adaptable you can basically tailor it to suit your own tastes. Can't hold your gluten? Use a gluten free pasta. I used a corn based one but you could use whatever type you prefer! Don't do dat dairy? I used almond milk but you could use almost any other nut milk or just plain old cow kind if you're so inclined. Are you a spicy senorita? I really just threw in whatever spices I thought seemed like a good idea at the time until I was happy with the flavour. With its pumpkin base you can really add whatever spice combo you fancy and in whatever quantities.      

Now if you're in Australia like me (or elsewhere in the southern hemisphere) you may be feeling the effects of those cold winter nights. Let's be real, when its cold and raining outside you don't always feel like a mason jar of banana ice cream or a sunny plate of raw vegetables (bless you Instagram #vegan hashtaggers!). Sometimes you just want something warm and cosy you can cuddle up with while you indulge in a Netflix binge. In other words, this is the Vegan Mac and Cheese's time to shine!

Here, have some photographic evidence of the aforementioned winter rain and also my dog because... well, just because.   

As I mentioned earlier, I was really just throwing ingredients in as I pleased without being to particular on quantities. Just keep tasting as you add bits and pieces in and you can't go wrong! 

Vegan 'Mac & Cheese'

250g pasta, cooked and drained

4 cups pumpkin, cut into rough chunks

3 cloves of garlic, peeled

Olive Oil

Salt and Pepper

1/2 brown onion, diced

1 heaped tsp Dijon mustard

2 tbsp nutritional yeast (*optional*)

~1 tsp turmeric

~1 tsp paprika

~1 tsp cumin

~ 1/2 cup almond milk (or you milk of choice) 

~3 cups torn kale leaves

Crispy Walnut Topping:

2 cup walnuts

1/2 cup nutritional yeast 

Salt and pepper

Toss the pumpkin with a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast with the garlic cloves in a baking tray at ~180 degrees C for 30-40 minutes or until pumpkin is completely cooked and soft. 

Stick the roasted pumpkin and garlic in a food processor along with the diced onion and mustard and blitz until pureed. Gradually add in the spices and nutritional yeast, tasting as you go and adjusting the flavours accordingly. Slowly add in the almond milk as you continue to blend to thin out the sauce, adding as much or as little as you like (I used just under 1/2 cup to keep it quite thick!).

Place the drained pasta in a large mixing bowl and add in the pumpkin sauce and torn kale, stirring to make sure it is totally combined. Spoon the mix into a large baking dish, individual ramekins or the hollowed out ends of a butternut pumpkin. 

To make the walnut topping blend the ingredients in a blender until it just takes on a breadcrumb texture, don't go so far that the walnut oils are released or it will turn into more of a dough than a crumb! Sprinkle on top of the pasta mixture and bake at 180 degrees C for 15-25 minutes or until the top is browned and crispy. 

Enjoy!