Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
User Reviews
5
Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese
Description
This recipe creates a dairy-free mac and cheese by steaming diced butternut squash and onion until soft. While that cooks, pasta shells are prepared per package instructions and drained. The cooked vegetables, along with soaked cashews, garlic cloves, unsweetened almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, and seasonings, are blended until completely smooth, forming a creamy, cheese-flavored sauce.
The sauce is combined with the pasta, coating the shells fully for a rich, velvety dish that balances sweetness from the squash with the savory and slightly tangy notes from nutritional yeast and mustard. Paprika adds a subtle smoky warmth, while the lemon juice brightens the flavor profile.
This mac and cheese can be served immediately as a main or side dish. Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for several days and can be reheated gently with added milk or water to restore sauce consistency, stirred frequently to prevent sticking or burning.
Ingredients
- 1 lb medium shell pasta uncooked
- 3 cups butternut squash peeled and chopped into 1-inch cubes
- 1 small yellow onion quartered
- 2 large garlic roughly chopped, cloves
- 1 ½ cup almond milk unsweetened
- ¾ cup cashew nuts soaked for 2-4 hours or overnight, raw
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons salt plus more to taste, sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon paprika
Instructions
- If you haven’t already soak your cashews for 2-4 hours. If you have a high powered blender like a Vitamix you can get away with soaking for only 30 minutes-1 hour.
- Fill a large pot with about 1 inch of water. Add butternut squash and onion to a steamer basket or metal colander and steam for about 15-20 minutes or until soft.
- Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and transfer the pasta back to the pot.
- Place cooked butternut squash and onion in a blender, along with garlic, almond milk, cashews, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, dijon mustard, salt, pepper and paprika and blend until smooth and creamy.
- Pour the sauce over cooked pasta and stir to fully combine.
- Season to taste and serve immediately.
- Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat it, add a little bit of milk or water to thin out the sauce. When reheating, stir often to avoid burning.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 8Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 189 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Serving | 1/8 recipe | |
| Calories | 189kcal | 9% |
| Carbohydrates | 28g | 9% |
| Protein | 7g | 14% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 1g | 5% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Sodium | 648mg | 27% |
| Potassium | 301mg | 6% |
| Fiber | 2g | 8% |
| Sugar | 3g | 6% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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