Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Creamy Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food! This easy, fall-forward recipe with simple ingredients comes together in just 30 minutes!

Course Dinner

Cuisine American, Vegan

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 20

Total Time 30

Servings people

Calories 420kcal

Author Melissa Huggins

Equipment

1 Large Pot
1 Colander

Ingredients

16 ounces medium shell pasta (conchiglie) or any pasta (gluten-free if preferred)
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on pasta (*optional)
Fine sea salt for pasta water
2 tablespoons vegan butter
2-3 cloves garlic , minced

Cheese Sauce

½ cup raw cashews (*See note about softening)
1.5 cups soy milk , unsweetened (or any non-dairy milk)
1 cup vegetable broth , low-sodium
⅓ cup nutritional yeast
2 tablespoons lemon juice , fresh-squeezed - more to taste
1.5 tablespoons Dijon mustard , more to taste
1.5 tablespoons tapioca starch (*see note)
1 15-ounce can pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon white miso paste or yellow (optional - *see note)
¾ teaspoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon granulated onion
1 teaspoon sea salt , more to taste
Fresh cracked pepper to taste

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until just al dente (start checking 1–2 min before package time). Meanwhile, prepare the pumpkin cheese sauce.
While the pasta is cooking, blend all the sauce ingredients on high until smooth (1-2 minutes). Taste and adjust flavors if needed. Set aside.
When the pasta is done, reserve 1⁄2 cup of pasta water (you may not need it) and drain. Toss pasta with a drizzle of olive oil and set the colander aside.
Return the pot to the stove, and melt the 2 tablespoons of butter over medium heat. Add minced garlic and sauté for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.
Pour in cheese sauce and cook for 4-5 minutes, until sauce thickens up. Stir often to prevent burning and lower heat if needed.
Add the pasta to the cheese sauce and gently stir to combine and heat throughout (1-2 minutes). Thin with pasta water only if needed.

Notes

Cashews - If you don't have a powerful blender (such as Blendtec/Vitamix), you'll need to soften the cashews or the sauce won't be smooth. Boil water in a small pot then remove from heat. Add cashews and cover for 20-30 minutes then drain and rinse (discard soaking water). Alternatively, you can soak the cashews in water for 2-3 hours or overnight in the fridge.
Miso - This adds umami flavor to the sauce but is optional. You don't have to replace it with anything, but here are some other flavor amp-up ideas (choose 1-2): 1-2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar, 1-2 teaspoons tamari, 2 tablespoons vegan parmesan cheese (I like Violife), 1 tablespoon tomato paste (sauté right after the garlic for 30-60 seconds).
Tapioca Starch - This makes the sauce thicker and silkier, but you can use 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or arrowroot or omit the thickener altogether (the sauce is fairly thick on its own). You can also use 2 tablespoons of vegan cream cheese or vegan parmesan cheese to thicken.
Topping Ideas: Toasted breadcrumbs, crispy sage, vegan parmesan cheese, red chili flakes, hot sauce, fresh chopped thyme, sage, chives, or green onion (see post above for breadcrumb recipe).

Nutrition