Vegan Mac & Cheese

Ingredients:

For the sauce

• 1 medium Idaho® russet potato (5 ounces), peeled and chopped
• 1 small carrot (1.5 ounces), peeled and chopped
• 2.8 ounces raw cashews
• ½ cup non-dairy milk (I used oat milk)
• 4 tablespoons nutritional yeast
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2-3 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• pinch of ground turmeric

For the pasta

• 9 ounces dry macaroni pasta
• 2 teaspoon salt
• pinch of nutmeg (optional)
• ground black pepper, to taste (optional)

For the curried breadcrumbs

• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon jalapeño, chopped finely
• 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
• ½ cup Panko-style breadcrumbs
• ¼ teaspoon curry powder
• pinch of salt

Directions:

Make the sauce

1. Bring a small saucepan full of water to a rolling boil. Add the chopped potatoes and carrots and cook until soft.
2. Turn off the heat, add the raw cashews and let sit for 5 minutes, or until the cashews soften.
3. Reserve about ½ cup of the cooking water, and drain the rest.
4. Add cooked vegetables and cashews to a blender, along with the ½ cup reserved water, non-dairy milk, nutritional yeast, salt and lemon juice. 
5. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and sauté the chopped onion and garlic along with a pinch of salt and ground turmeric until soft. Reserve ¼ cup of this mixture.
6. Add onions to the mixture in the blender and process until smooth, scraping down the sides if necessary. Set aside.

Cook the pasta

1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil.
2. Add the dried macaroni and salt. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the pasta is soft.
3. Reserve about 1 cup of pasta cooking water and drain the rest.

Make the curried breadcrumb topping

1. While the pasta is cooking make the breadcrumb topping.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a clean frypan. Add the chopped jalapeños and thyme sprigs. Sauté until the jalapeños begin to brown.
3. Reduce heat to low and add the breadcrumbs, curry powder and salt. Sauté until the breadcrumbs are crisp and brown, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat and transfer the curried breadcrumbs to a small serving bowl. Set aside.

Assemble

1. In the same skillet, add the drained pasta and reserved sautéed onions. Pour the sauce over the top, stirring to combine, adding as much sauce as you prefer. If the sauce is too thick, use some pasta cooking water to thin it.
2. Bring to a slow simmer over medium heat.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding nutmeg and/or ground black pepper to taste.
4. Transfer to serving bowls, top generously with the curried breadcrumbs and enjoy immediately.
5. Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 2 days. While re-heating, you may need to add a little water to make the sauce smooth again.

Notes:

1. You can make the sauce ahead of time, and just toss in freshly cooked pasta before serving. It keeps well refrigerated for up to 3 days.
2. The curried breadcrumbs can be made ahead of time and stored in a clean, dry container for up to a week.