Creamy Mac-No-Cheese

By Ellie

2 Person

20 Minutes

0 Calories

There are just so many things to love about this pasta dish. It's not only incredibly easy to make, but also really healthy (the nutritional yeast gives it that cheesy flavour). Plus, the pumpkin and cashews are so creamy and sweet. Cashews are a staple in my pantry — they are high in vitamin E (an antioxidant), magnesium (important for blood pressure regulation) and zinc (which aids in immune function and healing), and they don't need as much soaking as other nuts.

Ingredients

Chili flakes
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups baby spinach leaves (about 100g)
300 g gluten-free macaroni
1/2 tsp. salt
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1 cup (150g) cashews, pre-soaked
400 g pumpkin, roughly diced
1L water

Method

01

Bring water to the boil in a saucepan over a high heat. Add pumpkin, cover and boil for 8 minutes, or until pumpkin falls apart when pierced with a fork. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.
02

Place pumpkin, cashews, yeast, garlic and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Add three-quarters of the reserved cooking liquid and pulse to combine. Set aside.
03

Cook macaroni according to the packet instructions. When al dente, turn off the heat and add spinach leaves. Drain immediately. Add pumpkin sauce and stir until the pasta is well-coated. Season to taste with pepper and chili flakes. Serve immediately.

Related Tags

Mac and Cheese Recipes

Creamy Mac-No-Cheese

5.0

( By Ellie )

01 Information

Grade easy
Serving 2 servings
Prep Time 10 Mins
Cook Time 10 Mins
Total Time 20 Mins

02 Ingredients

Chili flakes

Freshly ground black pepper

2 cups baby spinach leaves (about 100g)

300 g gluten-free macaroni

1/2 tsp. salt

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

1/4 cup nutritional yeast

1 cup (150g) cashews, pre-soaked

400 g pumpkin, roughly diced

1L water

03 Method

Step 1

Bring water to the boil in a saucepan over a high heat. Add pumpkin, cover and boil for 8 minutes, or until pumpkin falls apart when pierced with a fork. Drain, reserving the cooking liquid.

Step 2

Place pumpkin, cashews, yeast, garlic and salt in a blender and blend until smooth. Add three-quarters of the reserved cooking liquid and pulse to combine. Set aside.

Step 3

Cook macaroni according to the packet instructions. When al dente, turn off the heat and add spinach leaves. Drain immediately. Add pumpkin sauce and stir until the pasta is well-coated. Season to taste with pepper and chili flakes. Serve immediately.

04 Author