There’s nothing like a creamy, dreamy dish of homemade mac and cheese — unless, of course, you’re vegan or dairy doesn’t do your body good. But thanks to this out-of-the-box recipe, anyone can enjoy this childhood favorite. Instead of cheddar, it’s made with cauliflower “cheeze,” cleverly blended from fresh florets, nutritional yeast and almond milk to mimic the smooth texture and savory-sweet taste of dairy cheese.
Ingredients
1 box brown rice elbow pasta
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or garlic powder, to taste)
Pinch of sea salt
4 cups cauliflower florets, chopped about 1 small cauliflower head)
1 ½ cups unsweetened almond milk
¼ cup nutritional yeast
1 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp. onion powder
Pinch of pepper
1 cup spinach (optional)
Directions
- In a large skillet over medium heat, saute garlic and onions in olive oil until softened, about 13 minutes.
- In a medium saucepan, cover cauliflower florets with water; bring to a boil and continue boiling for 10 minutes. When cooked, strain florets.
- Add florets to skillet with pan with garlic and onions and cook for an additional three minutes.
- Add mixture to blender and pulse until a smooth consistency.
- Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions.
- Pour cauliflower sauce back into skillet. Add almond milk, nutritional yeast, tomato paste, olive oil, lemon juice, onion powder, garlic powder and salt. Stir and let cook for about 10-15 minutes until thickened.
- When pasta is done, drain. Add pasta to mixture and stir well. Mix in spinach and let it wilt.