Creamy Butternut Macaroni
If you let the macaroni rest for 15 minutes or so once it comes out of the oven, it’ll set and be easy to serve in (relatively) neat portions.
One thing I love about this dish: Once you understand how to make the creamy butternut sauce, then you can get super creative with seasonings and toppings. Another thing I love: It’s a match made in heaven of decadence and nutrient density. Another thing: It’s just as good tomorrow for lunch as it was tonight for dinner. And another—you see where this is heading…so I’ll just end with this: I love how this dish is perfect for my four year old niece and 46 year old husband and 98 year old grandmother.
Recommendation: Read the entire recipe, including the notes, before you start cooking. That way, you can customize the dish to your dietary needs and flavor preferences.
No butternut squash? Substitute it with sweet potato and add a little more liquid to the sauce.
Ingredients (in the order they’re used)
½ cup raw cashews 1 medium butternut squash (5-6 cups diced) 12 oz package of macaroni (Tinkyada brown rice macaroni is the perfect texture for this recipe) 1 cup breadcrumbs (use Panko Japanese breadcrumbs for extra crunch) 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast (Bob’s Red Mill) ½ teaspoon smoked paprika Scant ¼ teaspoon salt 1 cup plant-based milk or vegetable broth (use low sodium broth or omit the salt below) 1 cup nutritional yeast 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice ½ cup reserved pasta water (cooking liquid from the macaroni—see notes) 1 tablespoon white (mild) miso paste (optional – if you omit the miso, add more salt) 1 tablespoon smoked paprika (definitely use smoked!) 1 teaspoon garlic powder ½ teaspoon onion powder ½ teaspoon black pepper (add more to taste) ½ teaspoon salt (add more to taste) 1 ½ cups LAFF protein crumbles
Method
The sauce could be a meal on its own.
Soak cashews in warm water for at least 30 minutes.
While the cashews soak, peel and dice the butternut squash.
Heat the oven to 400 F and get out two pots, a small bowl, a blender, and a casserole dish.
Add the diced butternut squash to one of the pots and cover with water by at least an inch. Bring the water to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes—or until the squash is tender.
As the squash simmers, use the other pot to prepare one package of macaroni according to the package directions. (While the pasta cooks, do step #6 below.) When the macaroni is al dente, reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid (“pasta water”—see notes) and drain the rest. Pour the drained macaroni into a large casserole dish (9x13 works well).
In a small bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, 1 tablespoon yeast, ½ teaspoon smoked paprika, and scant ¼ teaspoon salt. Set aside.
By this time, the squash should be tender. Add the drained squash to the blender along with the reserved pasta water, soaked (and drained) cashews, plant-based milk or vegetable broth, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, miso paste, garlic powder, smoked paprika, onion powder, black pepper, and salt. Blend until smooth. Add more pasta water, broth, or plant-based milk to adjust the consistency.
Pour the sauce into the casserole dish with the macaroni and stir. Stir in the LAFF protein crumbles. Top with the breadcrumb mixture from step #6.
Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the top is slightly browned.
The instructions for the crumb topping yield the right amount for a 9×13 casserole dish.
Notes
Tip for reserving pasta water: Set a heat safe bowl (or large mug) under a colander in the sink. The bowl will catch the pasta water when you drain the macaroni. The starch in the reserved pasta water is a natural thickener that will help make the butternut sauce creamy.
Nut-free option: Substitute the cashews with soaked sunflower seeds OR white beans (such as cannellini) OR silken tofu.
Soy-free option: Omit the miso and consider one of the flavor options below.
Flavor ideas: I love the flavor of butternut squash. For less passionate squash eaters…make it tangy by adding ½ teaspoon dry mustard powder to the sauce; make it slightly sweet by swapping the paprika with nutmeg in the sauce and breadcrumbs; make it more aromatic by blending a clove of roasted garlic into the sauce, (4) make it more buttery by melting 2-3 tablespoons of vegan butter into the breadcrumb mixture, or (5) make it richer by using coconut milk in the sauce or tossing the macaroni with olive oil when you add it to the casserole dish.
Taste as you go: This recipe is very forgiving—you don’t need to be exact. Have clean spoons at hand so that you can taste the sauce before pouring it on the macaroni. The salt, in particular, may need adjustments based on whether you salted the pasta water, skipped the miso, etc.
Breadcrumb alternatives: Crushed crackers or chips, French fried onions, chopped nuts, or seeds can add crunch. You can swap out the paprika for other seasonings that match your topping of choice.
Straight from the oven, the macaroni will be super creamy.
I am not sponsored or affiliated with any company other than LAFFkitchen. I do not profit from any product recommendations.