10/16/2020 Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe - NYT Cooking

Vegan Mac and Cheese

By Alexa Weibel

Y I E L D 4 to 6 servings

TIME 30 minutes

Many creamy vegan pasta recipes call for an arsenal of expensive ingredients, but this one relies on more
approachable ones, like cashews and almond milk for richness, nutritional yeast
(https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/08/dining/nutritional-yeast-nooch.html) for tang and soy sauce for complex
saltiness. Sautéed onions do double duty: They serve as a thickener and help offset the sweetness of the cashews. This
simple stovetop pasta is wonderful on its own, but feel free to add roasted vegetables, fresh herbs, spices, harissa or
hot sauce. For a quick-baked version worthy of Thanksgiving dinner, pile the prepared mac and cheese into a
casserole dish, top with panko and more nutritional yeast, and broil for a few minutes until golden brown.

INGREDIENTS PREPARATION

FOR THE MACARONI AND CHEESE: Step 1

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat.
Kosher salt
4 ounces raw, unsalted cashews Step 2

¾ cup unsweetened almond milk (or
other unsweetened nut milk)
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ large yellow onion, finely chopped
(about 1 cup)
3 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
¾ teaspoon onion powder
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon mustard powder
Black pepper
½ cup nutritional yeast, plus more to
taste
5 teaspoons tamari or low-sodium
soy sauce
16 ounces elbow macaroni or
medium shells
Meanwhile, add the cashews to a large nonstick skillet and heat over
medium, stirring frequently, until fragrant, toasty and slightly golden,
about 4 minutes. Transfer cashews to a blender and add the almond
milk. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel.
Step 3
Add the oil to the skillet and heat over medium. Add the onion, garlic,
onion powder, ground turmeric and mustard powder, season with salt
and pepper, and cook, stirring, until onions are very tender, 8 to 10
minutes, lowering the heat as necessary to avoid scorching. Remove
from the heat, stir in 1/2 cup nutritional yeast and the tamari, then
transfer to the blender.
Step 4
Blend the cashew mixture on high until thick and creamy, about 2
minutes, scraping down the sides as needed. (This works best with a
high-power blender, but any blender will work — just keep blending
the mixture 1 to 2 more minutes after the mixture looks creamy; it will
emulsify further.) You should have about 1 1/2 cups.

FOR THE PANKO TOPPING Step 5

(OPTIONAL): Cook the pasta according to package instructions until al dente.
Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Drain pasta, then return cooked

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10/16/2020
1 cup panko bread crumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for
greasing
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
Kosher salt and black pepper
https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1020616-vegan-mac-and-cheese?utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website
Vegan Mac and Cheese Recipe - NYT Cooking
pasta to the pot. Stir in the cashew cream, then add the pasta cooking
water 1/4 cup at a time until you achieve desired sauciness. Season to
taste with salt, pepper and additional nutritional yeast, if desired.
Serve immediately. (The sauce thickens significantly as it sits. If it
starts to coagulate, or if you have any leftover macaroni and cheese,
stir in a splash of the remaining pasta cooking water to loosen.)
Step 6
If you’d like a little crunch on top, prepare the optional panko topping:
Heat the broiler. In a small bowl, add the panko, olive oil and 2
tablespoons nutritional yeast. Pinch the mixture together gently to
combine thoroughly; season to taste with salt and pepper.
Step 7
Transfer the prepared macaroni to a lightly oiled 9-by-13-inch baking
dish, arrange in an even layer and sprinkle the panko mixture on top,
if using. Transfer to the oven on the shelf nearest to the broiler and
broil until just golden on top, about 2 minutes. (The panko toasts
quickly, so you’ll want to keep an eye on it.) Serve immediately.
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