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.
Looking for more pasta recipes? Check out some of my other favorites from the blog!
Creamy Vegan Pasta Sauce
Take-out Style Sesame Noodles
Tofu Ricotta Lasagna Rolls
Vegan Pumpkin Mac & Cheese
Ingredients
- 12 oz box of pasta, mine was brown rice
- 1 cup raw cashews
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/2 cup non-dairy milk, I used unsweetened almond
- 1/2 cup pasta water
- 1/4 cup nutritional yeast, plus more to top
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper, optional
Directions
- Bring a large pot of water to a boil, with at least 3 quarts of water. I generously salt my water.
- Once boiling, add in your pasta and cook for the recommended time that’s listed on the package- each type of pasta will vary. Be sure to reserve at least 1/2 cup of the pasta water for the sauce!
- While the pasta cooks, add in all remaining ingredients to a high-speed blender and blend the sauce until smooth. You can measure out 1/2 cup of pasta water directly from the pot while the pasta cooks.
- Once the pasta is ready, drain and put back into the pot. Mix together with the sauce over low heat. Serve fresh with nutritional yeast!
- If reheating leftovers, I suggest adding a little more non-dairy milk to thin out the sauce.
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