10 Mar Vegan Mac n Cheese With Roasted Broccoli

Posted at 00:00h in Recipes by

This time it started with broccoli. We received some incredible organic broccoli in our most recent delivery. I wanted to build a recipe around this green goodness. Recalling a funny comment from my friend Joanna about her family wanting old-school veggies with cheese sauce, and knowing my son Will adores pasta, I was inspired to bring these three things together.

With the helpful guidance of “the detoxinista”, I employed a few creative liberties while working with what I had on-hand to create a yummy, repeat dish!

Depending on your preference, you can have this dish on the creamier side, or, if you prefer a drier Mac ‘N Cheese, you can bake it. I always, without fail, make too much pasta. So, although I cooked up an entire package of pasta, please don’t just dump it all in as you will end up with a very poor “pasta to sauce” ratio. Please gradually add the pasta to the sauce to ensure the right creaminess….I can’t emphasize this point enough 😉

So, let’s do this!

Vegan (or not) Mac ‘N Cheese with Roasted Broccoli

Roasted Broccoli

We roasted 3 stalks of broccoli. Start by peeling and trimming the stems, and cut the florets into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 2 tablespoons of melted coconut (or olive) oil, a clove or two of minced garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Roast at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. You may just want to stop here and forget about the mac n’ cheese….this is soooo good!

Pasta
Cook a package of your favourite pasta….but remember, you likely won’t use all of it….so handy leftovers for your next meal!

Vegan Cheese Sauce
1 cup raw cashews
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup water
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 clove garlic
1/4 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Shredded vegan (or non-vegan) cheese as topping if you choose to bake Mac ‘N Cheese. (*optional*)

Combine above ingredients in high speed blender or food processor. Adjust water as needed to achieve a  consistency that works for you.

Gradually add sauce to pasta until the desired consistency of pasta to sauce is achieved. Add roasted broccoli. If you prefer a drier macaroni dish, you may wish to transfer the mixture to a baking dish, top with shredded cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Enjoy!