one green planet
one green planet

I know people often associate comfort foods with unhealthy ingredients; meals that leave you feeling bloated, sluggish, and like you've swallowed an anvil. The sort of comfort food I'm talking about is more nutritious than that but still gives you the fuzzies when you need them most. When the January blues hit next year, you will thank me for this recipe. It's wonderfully hearty, and it hits the right spot on rainy days when there isn't much to get excited about. Turn on the oven and switch on the fairy lights... it's time to get cozy!

Mac ‘n’ Squash [Vegan]

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Serves

2

Ingredients

  • 200g (7 oz) macaroni (or any pasta shape you have; I used wholewheat penne)
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 1 generous tbsp vegan butter
  • 200ml (3/4 cup + 1 tbsp) non-dairy milk
  • 4 tbsps nutritional yeast (nooch) + 1 tbsp to sprinkle
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp mustard (optional)
  • 1/2 can pumpkin puree, unsweetened
  • salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

  1. Cook the pasta according to package instructions.
  2. In a saucepan melt the butter over medium to high heat, then add the flour, stirring with a wooden spoon to combine both (this creates what we call a 'roux'.) Gradually pour in the non-dairy milk whilst continuously stirring. After a handful of minutes the sauce will begin to thicken. If it threatens to boil over, lower the heat a bit.
  3. You can now add the nooch, garlic powder and mustard to the sauce, stirring as you do so. When the sauce has thickened sufficiently, take the pan off the heat and stir in the pumpkin puree.
  4. When the pasta is cooked, drain the water but retain about half a cup of the cooking water, which you will stir into the sauce to bind it and thin it out if you have accidentally cooked it too long.
  5. Pour the sauce over the pasta and stir. At this point, you can serve the pasta if you can bear to wait no longer, but if you want a little more va va voom to your meal, pour the pasta and its sauce into a greased pie dish, sprinkle some nooch over the top and bake for 20 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 180ºC (356ºF).

Notes

The mustard gives the sauce a very cheesy flavor. If you want a milder flavor, omit the mustard. Additionally, if you do choose to use mustard, just use your favorite kind--I'm not too bothered about the whole English or Dijon thing. Tip: keep stirring the sauce so it doesn't burn or boil over. If you're still hanging on to Christmas and its trademark flavors, add less or no nooch at all and instead double the pumpkin puree and sprinkle a little bit of ground cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves to the sauce. Omit the mustard, too.



About The Author

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Clémence Moulaert

See My Recipes

After turning vegan, I discovered a particular talent for baking delicious cruelty-free cakes and cookies. It was then that my friends named me ‘The Vegan Cookie Fairy,’ and my blog was born. I find happiness in preparing and eating food that is good for my body and soul.

Comments

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    1. I just made it yesterday with butternut sqaush, I sort of doubled everything, so 16oz of penne, and used 2 small to medium sized sqaushes. It turned out amazing!

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