Vegan Tofu Mac and Cheese
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Ingredients
- 12 oz/340g dry short pasta orecchiette used here or shells or elbows
- 1 tbsp/15ml olive oil
- ½ medium/90g yellow onion finely diced
- 2 cloves/10g garlic minced
- ¾ cup/180ml soy milk
- 1 lb/450g soft or silken tofu
- 6 tbsp/30g nutritional yeast
- 1 tbsp/8g cornstarch
- ½ tsp/1g ground black pepper
- 1 tsp/2g smoked paprika
- 1 tsp/5g dijon mustard
- ½ - 1 tsp/3-6g salt
- Chives or parsley to garnish
Method
- Cook the pasta to al dente according to package directions. Reserve some of starchy water to thin sauce as desired.
- Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic.
- Heat oil in a pot or pan on medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook for 6-8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until translucent and golden. Remove from heat.
- In a blender, combine the soy milk, tofu, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, black pepper, smoked paprika, mustard, and ½ tsp/3g salt.
- Add caramelized onion and garlic. Blend until very smooth.
- Return sauce to pot over medium-low heat. Stir regularly to prevent burning or clumping on the bottom of the pot until hot and slightly thickened. Taste and adjust salt and nutritional yeast as desired. Add in reserved starchy water from pasta as desired to thin.
- Toss with the pasta and serve immediately. Top with chives, parsley, or more nutritional yeast.
Notes
Texture/taste Notes: Creamy dairy and nut free vegan mac and cheese with a heavy dose of protein from soft or silken tofu. An easy cheesy sauce made in the blender without needing to soak cashews or cook squash for a creamy, smooth sauce. Rich, deep flavor from caramelized onions and nutritional yeast. Great for weeknight meals, just add a side of vegetables.
Soy milk: Soy milk can be replaced with other types of dairy free milk. Best choices are those with some fat like nut milks but oat milk will also work. Coconut milk will add a very distinctive taste. Soy is best for a neutral taste.
Cornstarch: The addition of cornstarch helps keep the sauce silky and smooth, preventing splitting. This can be replaced with 2 tbsp/15g all-purpose flour but will be a little gluier. Sauce can be prepared in advance. Blend all sauce ingredients but do not heat to activate starches until ready to eat. Store for up to two days in the fridge.
Cornstarch: The addition of cornstarch helps keep the sauce silky and smooth, preventing splitting. This can be replaced with 2 tbsp/15g all-purpose flour but will be a little gluier. Sauce can be prepared in advance. Blend all sauce ingredients but do not heat to activate starches until ready to eat. Store for up to two days in the fridge.