Who says comfort food can’t be healthy and mouthwatering at the same time? My Mac & P(umpkin) is a delicious plant-based alternative to traditional Mac & Cheese, with all the creaminess and comforting flavours we love, but with a little twist. The velvety sauce is made with sweet pumpkin, creamy cashews and coconut milk, blended into a wonderfully smooth and rich coating for wholewheat pasta. Finished with a sprinkle of fresh herbs and a few minutes under the grill until lightly golden, it makes a beautifully comforting dish that’s nourishing, wholesome and full of flavour. A lovely way to enjoy a healthier take on a classic family favourite!
Ingredients
your favourite short pasta (penne/fusilli/pipe rigate/mezze maniche..). I opted for the classic cavatappi, the curly pasta but wholewheat for more fibre.
100g Smart Organic raw cashews, softened in hot water
600g cubed pumpkin
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 leek, roughly chopped
salt and black pepper
1 small sachet Miso paste
1 cup reserved pasta water
1 tin Blissful Coconut Milk/Cream (if you do not like the taste of coconut, swap for plant-based cream)
100g nutritional yeast (or grated parmesan-style cheese alternative)
chopped flat-leaf parsley and sage leaves, for garnish
Instructions
1. place the cubed pumpkin, garlic and chopped leek onto a tray lined with baking paper, drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Feel free to add herbs like sage leaves, which pair very well with pumpkin. Bake in a 180C oven for about 30 to 40 minutes until the pumpkin is cooked through and the veggies start to caramelise.
2. place the cashews in a bowl and cover with hot water as a quick way to soften them. Leave for at least 10mins.
3. In the meantime bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package directions less 2mins as the pasta will continue to cook in the oven. Reserve 2 cups of the starchy pasta water before draining it. Set the pasta aside for a few minutes, drizzling with olive oil if need be, to prevent it from sticking.
3. Transfer the baked veggies into a high speed blender or liquidiser, adding the drained cashews, half of the coconut milk, miso paste, nutritional yeast. Blend until the ingredients turn into a smooth and creamy sauce, adjusting the consistency by adding the reserved pasta water and more coconut milk if necessary. Taste the cream to understand if more seasoning is required, i.e. salt and pepper.
4. Pour 1/3 of the pumpkin sauce into the baking dish (I chose individual portion ceramic gratin dishes). Then put aside 1 cup of the sauce, and add the pasta to the remaining amount, ensuring the pasta becomes well coated with the sauce. Transfer the pasta into the dish over the pumpkin sauce bed, and top with the remaining 1 cup of sauce.
5. Cook in the oven at 180C for about 20mins, until the pasta starts to turn golden brown and the sauce is bubbling away.
6. Serve piping hot, garnishing with fresh chopped parsley and sage leaves. Enjoy this heartwarming dinner!
