The Best Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Recipe

5 from 12 votes

The Best Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese Recipe

Super comforting and perfect for fall, this recipe uses a full can of pumpkin puree! Dairy-free and easily made gluten-free.

Prep Time15

Cook Time30

Total Time45

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American

Servings: servings

Calories: 404kcal

Equipment

1 blender

Ingredients

½ cup raw cashews soaked*
16 ounces macaroni or pasta certified gluten-free, if necessary**
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
½ cup roughly chopped shallot or onion
3-4 garlic cloves minced
15 ounces pumpkin puree canned or homemade
⅓ cup nutritional yeast
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or distilled white vinegar
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon vegetable bouillon ***
salt & pepper to taste
1 cup reserved pasta water

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a large pot, bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, or as directed. Strain cooked pasta while reserving 1 cup of the cooking water.
Meanwhile, in a large skillet, warm two tablespoons olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the shallot (or onion) and cook for about 3 minutes, until translucent and fragrant. Add the garlic and continue to cook for another 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.
In a high speed blender, add the pumpkin puree, drained soaked cashews, cooked shallot and garlic, reserved pasta water, nutritional yeast, vinegar, paprika, sage, salt & pepper. Blend on high until a smooth creamy sauce forms. If sauce is too thick, add more water to thin. Taste test to see if you prefer more bouillon, vinegar, paprika, sage or salt and add accordingly.
Next, add the pasta to the pot and pour pumpkin cheese sauce over top. Stir until evenly coated. Warm over medium-low heat and cook until heated through. Add more salt to taste, if desired. Serve warm and enjoy!

Notes

Nutrition Facts are an estimate and will vary depending on specifics brands you choose.

*To soak cashews: bring a pot of roughly 2 cups water to a boil. Remove from heat and add raw cashews. Allow to soak for 30 minutes. Drain and rinse before using in recipe. If you don't want to use cashews you can leave them out and substitute 1/2 cup of the pasta water for plain (unsweetened) non-dairy milk.

**If using gluten-free pasta I recommend only cooking what you plan to eat at once and saving the leftover sauce to add to fresh cooked pasta later. Gluten-free pasta rarely holds up well as leftovers for me.

***Be sure to use a high quality vegetable bouillon for optimal results. I personally like Better Than Bouillon's Vegetable Base. Adding that to the reserved pasta water helps create a really creamy and flavorful sauce. If you can't find bouillon, you can use 1/2 cup vegetable broth instead.

Kelli suggested serving the sauce over spaghetti squash for a grain-free option in the comments which I think is a brilliant idea. Click Here for directions on how to roast spaghetti squash.

Nutrition