Health By Al

I will admit, I was hesitant to try Vegan Mac & Cheese, it’s a tricky flavor to replicate without cheese! However, I was blown away by this meal, it tastes even better than any homemade Mac & Cheese recipe I’ve ever made. This is one of those recipes that tastes even better as leftovers. Try it out and you’ll know what I mean!

Ingredients: (Serves 4)

• 4 cups pasta noodles
• 1 & 1/2 cups raw cashews
• 3 cups pasta water
• 3 Tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 Tablespoons nutritional yeast*
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 & 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

Directions:

1. Cook the pasta as directed and drain, reserving 3 cups of the water.
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F.
3. Blend the pasta water, along with all of the remaining ingredients in a high speed blender.
4. Add the cooked pasta to a 9×13 in. glass baking pan and pour the cheese sauce mixture on top (sauce will be pretty thin).
5. Bake for 15-20 minutes (until the sauce is nice and thick-although it will thicken up more after it sits as well).
6. Let it cool for 5 minutes to thicken.
7. Enjoy!

*Note: Nutritional Yeast can be found at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, or Sprouts. It is a deactivated yeast full of vitamins and minerals that gives the pasta that “cheesy” flavor.