Name: Mac-nificent Plant-Based Mac and Cheese
Prep time: 36 min
Cook time: 84 min
Total time: 120 min
Yield: 5 servings
Ingredients: 0.75 lb sweet potato ((¾ lb; see tips)); 0.25 lb carrots ((about ¼ lb; see tips)); 1 null onion ((see tips)); 0.33 cup raw cashews ((or another 2½ Tbsp tahini)); 0.25 cup nutritional yeast; 1 tbsp tahini; 1 tbsp tomato paste; 0.5 tbsp arrowroot powder; 0.5 tbsp miso (mellow); 1.25 tsp sea salt; 0.5 tsp dijon mustard; 1 clove garlic cloves (medium-large); 2 cup non dairy milk (unsweetened, divided); 3 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed); 0.25 cup water; 4.75 cup pasta (uncooked); 0.5 cup breadcrumbs (of choice); 0.33 cup almond meal ((see tips for nut-free option)); 2 pinch sea salt

Instructions

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1

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (232 C) and line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2

Rinse/scrub the sweet potato (1 medium-large), carrots (2 small/medium), and onion (1 medium-large), but do not peel! Place whole on the prepared baking sheet.
3

Bake for about minutes (60), until softened and roasted (if using carrot, it won’t soften, but that’s okay because it will be pureed).
4

Remove from oven and let cool slightly while preparing other ingredients. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees F (190 C) to bake pasta.
5

In a blender (high-powered works best), add the raw cashews (0.33 cup), nutritional yeast (0.25 cup), tahini (1 tbsp), tomato paste (1 tbsp), arrowroot powder (0.5 tbsp), mellow miso (0.5 tbsp), sea salt (1.25 tsp), dijon mustard (0.5 tsp), clove garlic (1 medium-large), unsweetened non dairy milk (1 cup) (from the divided amount), and freshly squeezed lemon juice (3 tbsp). Blend until mixture starts to come together and is smooth.
6

Remove peels from sweet potato (1 medium-large) and onion (1 medium-large) (no need to peel carrot).
7

Add the roasted veggies and remaining unsweetened non dairy milk (1 cup) and water (0.25 cup) to blender. Puree until completely smooth.
8

Pour the sauce into a baking dish (9" × 12", or 2 quart, roughly), scraping every bit from the blender!
9

Cook uncooked pasta (4.75 cups) until almost tender, then drain (don’t rinse). Transfer pasta to the baking dish, and gently mix through to coat.
10

Mix the breadcrumbs (0.5 cup), almond meal (0.33 cup), and sea salt (2 pinches) in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the casserole.
11

Cover the casserole with foil and bake for minutes (15) (if you have chilled the casserole before baking, give it another few minutes).
12

Remove the foil and bake for another minutes (5), or until the topping is golden. Don’t overbake, as the sauce will continue to thicken as it stands.
13

Remove from the oven, let sit for a few minutes, and serve!