I've been looking for a good dairy-free Mac & Cheese recipe for a long time. The problem with most of them is that they're usually made with nuts, which is okay for me every once and awhile, but can be a little heavy and hard on my digestive system. Recently, I had an eggplant I needed to use, so I browsed Pinterest and was stoked when I found a yummy sounding Mac & Cheese recipe. It turned out great! Here's my adaptation of that recipe:
Vegan Mac & Cheese
Adapted from minimalistbaker.com
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
1 medium eggplant
Olive Oil
1 1/2 yellow onions, sliced thin
2 cups gluten-free pasta
1/4 cup nutritional yeast, use more if needed
1 3/4 cups unsweetened plain almond milk
1 tsp garlic powder
Sea salt, to taste
Cayenne, to taste
Chopped tomato, for garnish
Sliced green onion, for garnish
Directions:
- Peel and cube the eggplant and sprinkle with sea salt. Place in a colander and let moisture drain for 20 minutes to draw out bitterness.
- In the meantime, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and stir occasionally until caramelized, 10-12 minutes. Set aside for later.
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Rinse eggplant and dry thoroughly. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Roast until tender and slightly browned 25-30 minutes.
- Boil water for pasta and add pasta and boil until cooked through. Drain and return to pot with the lid on to keep warm.
- Remove roasted eggplant and add to a blender with almond milk, nutritional yeast, and garlic powder. Blend until smooth and add sea salt and cayenne pepper to taste. Add more nutritional yeast, salt, and garlic powder to reach desired taste.
- Add sauce to the pasta and coat thoroughly. Add caramelized onions.
- Top with tomatoes and green onions and serve.