Inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s delicious-looking skillet-baked macaroni and cheese, which is cleverly and efficiently made with soaked rather than cooked pasta, we came up with this delightful vegan and gluten-free alternative.

Hats off to Minimalist Baker and Broma for their vegan mac & cheese recipes, which we adapted for our own version that uses Smitten Kitchen’s technique.

You’ll need a 3.5 qt cast iron or other stove- and oven-proof baking dish along with a high-speed blender for this recipe.

This mac & cheese is cozy and flavorful so we hope you will give it a try it and let us know what you think.

Topping Ingredients
2 Tbsp vegan butter
Salt and pepper
1/2 c panko-style bread crumbs (we used gluten-free ka-panko crumbs made from rice)

Pasta
16 oz pasta – gluten-free, if needed – use a short shape like shells, elbows, or caserecce (Jovial brand gluten-free pasta works well)

Sauce Ingredients
2 cups raw unsalted cashews
1 cup soy milk
1 cup vegan vegetable bouillon
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or to taste
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp chili seasoning
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp sweet white or chickpea miso
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 large garlic clove, smashed, or ½ tsp garlic powder

Other Ingredients
1 Tbsp olive oil for the pan
Flaky sea salt
Red pepper flakes

Directions

Put the cashews into a medium bowl and cover with boiling water.  Soak for at least 20 minutes, but leave them soaking as long as you can while you proceed with the recipe.

Put the pasta into a large bowl and cover with hot tap water by a couple of inches. Let it sit for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally so it doesn’t stick together. If using gluten-free pasta, soak for only 8 minutes. Drain the pasta well, leave in the strainer, and set aside.  If using gluten-free pasta, rinse well before draining.  Give the strainer a shake every once in a while to be sure all the water drains from the pasta.  Rinse out and dry the large bowl and set aside.

Put the baking pan you’ll be using for the mac & cheese on the stove over medium heat. We used a cast iron enameled casserole with lid.  Once warm, add the butter and let it melt. Add the bread crumbs and season well with salt and pepper. Stir and toast until golden. Then, scrape the crumbs into a small bowl and set aside.  Leave the pan to cool (no need to wash it).

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).

Once the pan has cooled, grease with one tablespoon of olive oil and set aside.

Now make the sauce.  To a high-speed blender, add the soy milk, vegetable bouillon, salt, black pepper, Dijon mustard, turmeric, cayenne pepper, paprika, chili seasoning, tomato paste, miso, smashed garlic clove, and lemon juice.  Blend briefly.

Rinse and drain the cashews.  Add them to the blender and blend everything together on high speed until thick and creamy, two to three minutes.  Stop to scrape down the sides as needed.  The sauce should be well-seasoned, savory, and bright.  Add additional salt or lemon to your taste.

Pour the strained pasta back into cleaned and dry bowl. Then, stir in the sauce and mix until well blended.  Pour into the prepared pan.  Smooth out the top and sprinkle with the breadcrumb topping.

Cover the pan and bake for 20 minutes.  Remove the lid and bake for another 10 minutes or so, if needed, until the top is golden and crisp.  The extra baking time may not be necessary.

To serve, sprinkle with flaky sea salt and red pepper flakes. 

Enjoy!