Vegan Pumpkin Cauliflower Mac and Cheese
This vegan pumpkin mac and cheese is a cozy and nutritious recipe you'll keep coming back to all fall long! It's nut free and instead made with a base of pumpkin puree and cauliflower giving it more plant based nutrition!
Ingredients
- 1 box 16 oz whole wheat, gluten free or chickpea pasta, cooked as directed ( I used Banza cavatappi here!)
- 1 can 15 oz. pumpkin puree
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp. avocado oil
- 1 tbsp. dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. tahini
- 2 tsp. garlic powder
- 2 tsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- ½ tsp. cumin
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
Instructions
- 1. Preheat the oven to 415 degrees F. Wash and chop the head of cauliflower into florets and toss them in the coconut oil.
- 2. Place on a baking sheet and roast for 15-20 minutes. Cook the pasta according to package directions, and shred the entire zucchini and squeeze out the excess water using a paper towel.
- 3. Once the cauliflower has roasted and cooled slightly, add it plus the other ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor.
- 4. Blend until creamy and the consistency has reached the same as pasta sauce ( you may need to add more almond milk, 1 tbsp at a time)
- 5. Transfer to a skillet to heat up, adding the pasta and the sauce and still together until covered. Add the shredded zucchini and mix everything together.
- 6. In a separate small bowl toast the pumpkin seeds on medium-low heat until they look shiny, puffed up a little and you hear a few little popping noises.
- 6. Transfer to a bowl and top with toasted pumpkin seeds and extra nutritional yeast on top if desired.
- 7. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days.