3 Pepper Vegan Mac and Cheese

Yields 4-6 Servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup unsalted cashews
• 12 oz. dry pasta shells
• 1 tbsp. olive oil, separated
• ¾ large white onion, separated, diced
• 5 garlic cloves
• 1 jalapeño, diced
• 2 serrano peppers, diced
• 1 4 oz. can green chilies, separated
• 2-3 tbsp. nutritional yeast flakes
• ¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
• ¾ tsp. chili powder
• ½ tsp. cumin powder
• 1½ cups vegetable broth
• 1 tbsp. corn starch
• salt and pepper, to taste
• cilantro (optional)
• additional jalapeños + serranos (optional)

Instructions

1. Soak cashews in water for 4+ hours. Drain and set aside.
2. Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package instructions.
3. While pasta is cooking, put a pan on the stove over medium low heat. Add ½ tbsp. olive oil to the pan. Once heated, add ½ of the onion and the garlic. Add salt and pepper, and cook until soft – about 10 minutes. Set aside.
4. Add remaining ½ tbsp. olive oil to the pan and add serrano and jalapeño peppers. Sauté for 5 minutes (or until peppers soften). Set aside.
5. Place pan back on the stove and add remaining uncooked onions. Cook on medium low for 5-10 minutes* Set aside.
6. Add cashews, cooked onion (excluding the ¼ onion you just caramelized), garlic, jalapeños, serranos, ½ can green chilies, nutritional yeast, cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, vegetable broth and corn starch to a blender. Blend on high for 60 seconds (or until sauce is creamy and smooth).
7. Drain pasta and set aside.
8. Add sauce back to the pasta pan and cook on low until it begins to thicken – about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and remaining ½ can of green chilies. Add pasta back to the pan and stir to combine.
9. Serve immediately with cilantro, additional peppers and caramelized onions on top.
10. Enjoy!

Recipe from Eat Style Create, 2016