A delicious gift for you - our Butternut Mac and Cheese recipe!

That's right ya beauts - we're sharing our award winning mac n cheese recipe!

We love this recipe because it is comforting - but it is also nutrient dense. Find local butternut and sweet potatoes and make your own puree to pump that nutrient profile even higher! 

This is *almost* the same as the mac we make week in week out - changed slightly to be easier to recreate at home.

Butternut Mac and Cheese with Cherry Tomatoes and Cashew Parmesan

Serves 8 - 10

20    oz    brown rice pasta (Jovial brand preferred, we love their elbows or penne!)

1  small head cauliflower, chopped 

1     cup carrots, peeled, chopped 

¾     cup    cashews, raw

2      tbsp  extra virgin olive oil

1      medium yellow onion, chopped

6      cloves garlic minced

2      tsp   thyme, dry       

½     cup white wine or sake

Pinch white pepper

1     tbsp   sea salt                  

15oz can butternut squash puree or one medium squash, roasted until soft, deseeded and peeled 

1/4     cup   mellow white miso paste

2      tbsp   mustard

1/2 cup vegetable broth or water

4      cloves  garlic, roasted (or two, fresh, minced)

½      cup nutritional yeast

3      tbsp   lemon juice                                                                     

1     cup cherry tomatoes, halved

1         cup     cashew parmesan (recipe below)

Preheat oven to 350f. Bring two large pots of water to boil. In one pot, cook pasta according to package directions until al dente, stirring often. Grease a 4 quart baking dish.  Drain and toss pasta with a little olive oil, then transfer it to prepared baking pan. Set aside.

While the pasta cooks, add cauliflower, carrots and cashews to the other pot of boiling water; cook 8-12 minutes, until all vegetables are soft. Drain and set aside.

In a large, flat-bottomed saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat and add onions. Cook 5-6 minutes until fragrant and translucent, then add garlic and thyme. Cook 2 minutes more and then deglaze with wine, and add salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook 3-4 minutes more. Turn heat off and stir in miso, mustard, roasted garlic, nutritional yeast, vegetable broth, lemon juice, cooked vegetables, and butternut squash.

Transfer half of the vegetable and cashew mix to a heat-safe blender (being careful not to overfill) and blend at high speed until sauce smooths and is glossy in reflected light. Continue blending the sauce until everything has been broken down into a smooth, orange sauce. Taste for salt and adjust if necessary.

Add sauce to prepared baking dish with pasta and toss thoroughly. Scatter halved tomatoes across the top of the casserole, then sprinkle with the sunflower seed or cashew crumbs. Bake for 20-22 minutes, or until sauce along the edges of the casserole is bubbling and breadcrumbs are toasty.

Cashew parmesan:

11/3 cup raw cashews

Scant 1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup nutritional yeast

1 tbsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Add all to a blender and pulse until evenly powdered. Stores up to a month at room temperature.

ENJOY! <3 - team Nourish

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