Dairy Free Roasted Garlic Mac & Cheese
This dairy free mac and cheese is creamy, comforting, and full of roasted garlic flavor. Its golden crisp topping makes every serving especially satisfying.
Equipment
- blender
- 9x13-inch baking dish
Ingredients
For the Pasta
- 1 lb Elbow Macaroni
- 1 tbsp Salt (for pasta water)
For the Roasted Garlic Cheese Sauce
- 1 whole head Garlic
- 1 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1 cup Raw Cashews
- 1 medium Yukon Gold Potato, peeled and cubed
- 1 medium Carrot, peeled and sliced
- 1 1/2 cups Unsweetened Almond Milk
- 1/2 cup Nutritional Yeast
- 2 tbsp Fresh Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Onion Powder
- 1/4 tsp Ground Turmeric
- 1/2 cup Reserved Pasta Water
For the Topping
- 3/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 2 tbsp Olive Oil
- 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
- 2 tbsp Chopped Fresh Parsley
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400F. Slice the top off the head of garlic to expose the cloves, drizzle with 1 tablespoon olive oil, wrap tightly in foil, and roast for 40 minutes until the cloves are golden and soft. Let it cool slightly, then squeeze the cloves out of the skins.
- While the garlic roasts, place the cashews, cubed potato, and sliced carrot in a saucepan, cover with water, and boil for 12 to 15 minutes until the potato is very tender. Drain well.
- Cook the macaroni in heavily salted water until just al dente, about 1 minute less than the package says. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.
- Add the drained cashews, potato, carrot, roasted garlic cloves, almond milk, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, dijon, smoked paprika, salt, onion powder, and turmeric to a blender. Blend on high for a full 2 minutes until completely silky with no grit.
- Pour the sauce over the hot pasta in a large pot and stir over low heat. Splash in reserved pasta water a little at a time until the sauce coats every noodle in a glossy, pourable layer. Taste and add more salt if needed.
- Transfer everything to a greased 9x13 inch baking dish. Toss the panko with 2 tablespoons olive oil and the garlic powder, then scatter it evenly over the top.
- Bake at 400F for 15 to 18 minutes until the topping is deep golden and the edges bubble. Sprinkle with parsley and serve right away while the sauce is at its creamiest.
Nutrition
Serving: 1servingCalories: 571kcalCarbohydrates: 80gProtein: 19gFat: 19g