Baked Mac and "Cheese"

This recipe, like many of my recipes was inspired by my mama! We often spend time in the kitchen together when cooking dinner. Most of the time cooking different things. Simply because we both have our preferred ways of eating. So while she was making something for her and my Dad, I was dancing around her (making a mess) trying to be creative and create this butternut squash cheese sauce for my pasta. While I was making it, I vocalized how I wanted something other than just normal pasta and sauce! Then my mom told me to pop it into a baking dish, and bake it until it got all nice and crispy on top. BRILLIANT! I am such a texture person, so the creamy cheese sauce, and crunchy noodles on top really satisfied my tastebuds! The sauce is super easy to make , fairly simple flavor wise, and can totally be customized to your liking with additional spices for even more flavor! 

Baked Mac and "Cheese" 

• Servings: 4

• Prep time: 15 mins

• Cook time: 10 mins

• Broil time: 5-10 mins

Ingredients: 

Pasta

• 1 box pasta  ( I used Banza garbanzo bean pasta. Lentil pasta, and whole wheat pasta are good options too) 
• 1 cup mushroom, chopped 
• 1 cup pepper, chopped 
• 1 Zuchinni spirazlied   

Cashew "Cheese" Sauce (makes about 1 cup, use desired amount for pasta) 

Cashew Cheese Sauce 

• 1 cup soaked,chopped cashews (1-2 hours in hot water)
• 1/4 cup cashew milk 
• 1 tsp turmeric 
• 1 clove garlic 
• 1 tsp Italian seasoning 
• 2 Tbsp nutritional yeast 
• 1/2 tsp salt 
• 1/8 cup water and more if necessary to thin
• Pepper and more salt to taste

OR 

Butternut Squash "Cheese" Sauce ( makes about 3/4 cup)

Butternut Squash Cheese Sauce 

• 3/4 cup butternut squash, cooked & mashed 
• 1/4 cup raw sunflower seeds, soaked (at least 30 mins in hot water) (raw cashews work too)
• 1/4 cup mushroom, minced, sautéed  
• 1/4 cup onion, minced, sautéed
• 1/4 cup artichoke, minced, sautéed   
• 1/2 tbsp oil * For sautéing 
• 1.5 tsp turmeric 
• 1 tbsp nutritional yeast 
• Salt and pepper to taste 
• water to thin, if desired. 

Instructions: 

1. Preheat the oven to broil 
2. In a food processor (or high speed blender) combine all ingredients for cheese sauce (either option), and pulse until well combined and smooth. (add water 1 tbsp at a time until desired consistency if you prefer a thinner sauce) 
3. Fill a medium sized pot with water, and bring to a boil. Add pasta and cook according to box directions. 
4. Sauté mushroom, pepper  and onion in a pan with oil, until tender,  set aside. 
5. Strain pasta once done, place back in pot, and add sautéed veggies, spiralized zuchinni, and desired amount of cheese sauce, mixing until well combined. 
6. Place pasta mixture into an appropriate sized baking dish.
7. Melt ghee and drizzle over the top of the pasta.
8. Place in the oven and broil, keeping an eye so it doesn't burn, broil until top noodles are nice and crisp!