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Best Vegan Mac 'n Cheese with Broccoli

This super creamy past and cheese is dairy-free, vegan, made using cashews and sweet potato. It has a hint of spiciness from cayenne and is loaded with cheezy, rich flavor. It coats your pasta and veggies, like broccoli or peas, to perfection!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time20 minutes
Total Time40 minutes
Servings: 6 servings
Author: Kathy Patalsky

Ingredients

Sauce:

  • ½ cup raw cashews (no soaking required if you have a powerful blender or food processor)
  • 3 tablespoon vegan butter
  • ¼ cup nutritional yeast
  • 1 clove raw garlic
  • 1 cup unsweetened plant milk
  • ¼ teaspoon turmeric (for color)
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • ¼ teaspoon salt
  • ¾ cup mashed sweet potato (baked and peeled) - (1 small potato or about ½ medium)
  • ½ - 1 cup water (as needed for desired consistency)
  • pinch of cayenne (to taste for spiciness)
  • optional, but suggested: 1-3 tablespoon vegan Parmesan or aged cashew cheese to add flavor depth

Pasta:

  • elbow pasta, 1 lb
  • 1 bunch of broccoli, florets or florets and stems chopped (your preference) -- you could also use peas or another veggie green like chopped kale

Instructions

  • Bake the sweet potato, you can do this in the microwave or oven. Remove the skin before using.
  • For the broccoli, slice into florets and rinse. You can either include the stem, chop into small pieces) or discard it. Rinse well and set aside.
  • Add all the cheese sauce ingredients to a high speed blender or food processor. Blend until smooth. Blend at highest speed for 2-3 minutes to warm and thicken the sauce. If your blender is not powerful enough to get a smooth blend, you can soak the cashews overnight, drain and rinse before using.
  • Fill a large pot with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. When boiling, add your elbow pasta. Cook as long as package indicates. 1-2 minutes before the pasta is done cooking, add the broccoli to the water. You can add it right in, or use a steamer basket right on top of the boiling water. This allows the broccoli to quickly cook in the same pot as the pasta. (Or you can steam, boil or roast the broccoli separately.)
  • Drain water from veggie and pasta pot. Pour about a cup of the cheese sauce over the pasta and broccoli. Toss well. (You can do this in the large pot on the stove or a separate large mixing bowl.) Add more sauce to taste. Scoop pasta and broccoli into serving bowls and add additional sauce over top to taste. Serve warm! Store leftovers in the fridge, covered. The pasta is actually even better the next day as the cheese sauce marinates the pasta a bit!