Amazing Spiced Vegan Mac and Cheese

When that craving for melty creamy pasta strikes, nothing else will do! And this easy recipe takes only 20 minutes to make, resulting in a flavor packed creamy, cheesy, luscious, and velvetty pasta.

Yes, its vegan, yes this flavor bomb is absolutely delicious, and no you don’t have to be vegan to devour this delightfully comforting meal.

This version uses store bought plant based cheeses and nutritional yeast, both available rather easily in grocery stores these days. If you haven’t tried nutritional yeast, don’t miss out! They are a magical ingredient, both nutritious and delicious. They add a “cheesy” flavor to your sauces and soups. They have a bread crumb like texture that’s also perfect to thicken burger patties, and fritters. The uses are endless. Added in cheese sauces, they mimic that salty cheesy flavor perfectly. A staple in my pantry!

There are several other versions of cheese sauce in my recipe pipeline, including ones that are entirely made out of vegetables. I’ll be sharing them all soon 🙂 Stay tuned!

Now lets get cooking!

Ingredients:
1 box shells (I use chickpeas pasta, use any kind you have)
1 red onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 serrano peppers, chopped (use 1 or 1/2 for milder heat)
2 sprigs green onions, chopped (remove bottom inch with roots)
2 tbsp vegan butter (I used ‘Earth balance’)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 cup oat milk (or any plant based milk)
1/2 cup plant based mozzarella (I usually use Whole foods 365 brand or Violife brand)
1 cup plant based cheddar (I usually use Whole foods 365 brand or Violife brand)
1 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Method:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Drop in pasta and cook per package instructions. Mine only took 6-7 minutes to perfect doneness. Drain and set aside.

Heat oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add garlic, chillies, and chopped green onions. Reserve some of the green parts to add later. Sauté for 2-3 minutes.

Next, add the onions and cook until they’ve softened. This takes about 6-8 minutes.

Next, add the cooked shells. Also add salt and pepper, along with vegan butter.

Toss together until the butter has melted. Pour in oat milk. Add measured cheese. Add nutritional yeast.

Gently toss everything together and keep stirring until the cheese melts and creates a silky smooth sauce.

Make sure all the shells are well coated. Sprinkle reserved green onions on top and serve immediately.

The shells are such an ideal shape for this sauce because they create these “pockets” that the sauce pools in! Little pools of cheesy melty goodness? Yes please!