'Cheezy' Mac And Greens

'Cheezy' Mac & Greens

Macaroni and cheese is comfort food, plain and simple. That doesn't mean we can’t make some easy swaps to transform it into something entirely new, and dairy-free to boot!

Our ‘Cheezy‘ Mac & Greens features a cheese-free, homemade sauce made from a base of soaked cashews and vegetables. Sounds crazy, but the result is a velvety-smooth, lip-smacking delicious concoction. Does it taste like cheese? Well no, not really … BUT it’s brimming with flavor and nutrition and is sure to please the whole fam.

Servings: 4 to 8, see below*

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

For the sauce |

• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked in water for at least a couple hours (or up to overnight)

• 1 teaspoon + 1 tablespoon avocado oil, divided

• 1/2 cup chopped onion or leeks

• 1 cup peeled, chopped potato

• 1/2 cup chopped carrots

• 2-4 cloves garlic, peeled (or sub 1 teaspoon garlic powder)

• 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast

• 1 tablespoon Italian Seasoning

• 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, to taste

• 1 teaspoon sea salt (try Romesco Garlic Salt or Southern Charm Salt)

• freshly ground black pepper

• 1/2 cup water or broth

For the pasta |

• 8 to 16 oz elbow, penne, or rotini pasta

• 2 to 4 cups chopped greens (pictured is rainbow chard, but spinach or beet greens would be nice too). Use 2 cups for 8oz pasta and 4 cups for 16oz of pasta

TOPPINGS IDEAS |

Top portions with another sprinkle of salt, pepper and some smoked paprika

INSTRUCTIONS:

For the sauce |

1. Preheat medium saucepan over medium heat and add a teaspoon of oil. Add chopped onion and sauté, lowering the heat slightly and stirring occasionally, until browned and slightly caramelized, about 6 minutes.

2. Put potato, carrots and garlic in the saucepan (if you’re using garlic powder, wait to add it to the blender in a moment). Cover with water and bring to a boil. Cook until veggies are softened, about 10 minutes. Drain.

3. Drain soaked cashews and rinse them. Add them to a blender jar. Also add veggie mixture, garlic powder if using, nutritional yeast, Italian Seasoning, apple cider vinegar, sea salt pepper, and water (or broth).

4. Fasten lid onto blender, leaving the little cap ajar to allow steam to escape. Blitz until smooth. A tamper may need to be used to get everything moving. Blend for 2-5 minutes, depending on the power of your blender (high speed models like Vitamix won’t take as long) until the mixture comes together as a sauce and is velvety smooth.

5. Taste and adjust seasonings to your liking. You may like a dash more vinegar for some tang or a bit more salt and pepper.

For the pasta |

1. Meanwhile, bring salted water to a boil in a large stockpot. Add pasta and cook according to package directions. When only a minute or two of the cooking time remains, dump in chopped greens and stir to incorporate into the pasta.

2. When pasta is cooked, drain pasta and greens into a colander, then add back to pan.

3. If you’re cooking 8oz of pasta, you’ll only need half the sauce. The remaining sauce keeps for up to a week in the fridge and can be used as a dip for veggies or nachos. If you’re using 16oz of pasta, you’ll use all the sauce. Stir sauce into pasta and greens mixture until fully incorporated.

4. Portion pasta into bowls and top with more salt and pepper and a good sprinkle of smoked paprika if you like.