
Comfort food season is in full swing, and this vegan pumpkin mac & cheese is the perfect cozy dinner to add to the rotation. It’s simple, 30-minute meal that’s completely plant-based and can be made gluten-free if needed!
The creamy sauce is made from a blend of cashews and pumpkin puree, and get’s the cheesiness from nutritional yeast. It’s blended into a delicious cheesy pumpkin sauce and served over a grain-free pasta. Talk about comfort food!

Pasta is one of the my favorite dinners to prep during the week! I love it because it’s a vehicle for an endless amount of veggies or nutrient-dense homemade sauces. You can opt for a bean based pasta to add in protein, or make it into a pasta salad to use up any veggies that are in the fridge.
Brown rice pasta or bean based pastas are great in this recipe, especially when you don’t plan on prepping a protein on the side. Whenever I make a pasta dish, I aim for it to be balanced so that it’s truly satisfying and holds me over.
This vegan pumpkin mac & cheese pairs so well with a side of roasted broccoli or a simple salad. It even has some protein on its own from the cashews!

I love the simplicity of this recipe. All you need is a pot for the pasta, and a blender for the sauce!
Do you need to soak your cashews for the sauce?
If you have a high-speed blender, you don’t need to soak your cashews!
If your blender isn’t strong, soaking your cashews in warm water for 30-minutes prior to blending may help smoothen the sauce. It’s completely optional if you have a good, strong blender.

How to reheat your pasta:
I recommend adding a little extra milk to the pot to thin out the sauce when reheating your pasta. You can also reserve pasta water in the fridge, and add that instead!
My favorite way to serve my pasta is fresh from the pot with a pinch of red pepper flakes and nutritional yeast. This dish is truly the perfect comfort meal, and I can’t wait for you guys to try it.