Description
Rich, cheesy, and oh-so-satisfying, this healthy, oil-free Vegan Italian Parmesan Mac and Cheese brimming with sophisticated flavors, tender pasta, and crispy topping.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegan Parmesan Cheese Mixture Ingredients:
- ¼ cup raw cashews
- ¼ cup blanched almond slivers
- 2 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- pinch to ¼ teaspoon sea salt *
Sauce Ingredients:
- 1 – [ 14.4 oz. bag ] frozen cauliflower florets *
- ½ cup low-sodium vegetable broth *
- ½ cup water
- 2 Tablespoons distilled white vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 2 Tablespoons dried minced onions
- ¼ to ¾ teaspoon sea salt (+/-) *
Sauce Spice/Herb Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
- 1/8 teaspoon black pepper (+/-)
Topping Ingredients:
- 1 Tablespoon Vegan Parmesan Mixture *
- 2 Tablespoons panko crumbs (or bread crumbs) *
Other Ingredients:
- 8 to 10 oz. GF elbow pasta *
Optional Ingredients:
- 1 cup frozen peas *
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 F.
- Fill a large stock pot full of water. Add some sea salt to the water. Bring the water to a boil then add the elbow macaroni. Stir occasionally to prevent sticking. Boil the pasta until el dente, drain, shake well, set aside.
- In the meantime, place all the Vegan Parmesan Cheese Ingredients into a high-speed blender, pulse until the ingredients are broken up into a fine sprinkle type mixture. Do not over-blend or you will turn the mixture into a nut butter.
- Remove the Parmesan “Cheese” mixture from the blender and place into a small bowl. Then remove 1 Tablespoon of the Parmesan Cheese Mixture and place into another small bowl for the Topping. Add 2 Tablespoons of Panko crumbs to that bowl, stir well, set aside as that will be the Topping for the casserole.
- Place the frozen cauliflower into a microwave safe bowl; microwave for 6 minutes until hot.
- Next place the hot cauliflower and all the remaining Sauce Ingredients, (including the left-over Parmesan “Cheese”), into the high-speed blender. See the Tips for Success notes for the order of the ingredients into the high-speed blender. Blend on high until everything is smooth and emulsified.
- Lastly, add the Sauce Spice/Herb Ingredients into the Sauce Mixture and gently pulse a couple of times just to mix the herbs into the sauce.
- Then place the Sauce Mixture, cooked macaroni, and peas into a large bowl, mix well to thoroughly coat the macaroni, then pour into a casserole dish, sprinkle the Topping Panko/Parmesan Cheese Mixture all over the top.
- Bake uncovered in a 350 F oven for 20 minutes, then switch the oven to high broil and broil for 2 to 4 minutes until the top is golden brown.
- Remove from the oven, allow to set for 5 minutes, then sprinkle with freshly chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
*Please reference the blog post for Tips for Success, Pantry Items Used, Storage and Freezing, and Kitchen Products Used.
*Sea Salt: Please adjust the sea salt based upon your family’s sea salt preferences and/or based upon dietary needs.
*Serving: 4 to 5