Easy Peasy Mac and Cheezy

Jem Carducci -

As far as comfort foods go, mac and cheese is most definitely up there! That goey creamy cheese over bite size morsels of filling pasta- heaven!

Recently I've taken to doing a batch of cubed roast veggies once a week, using some for dinner, then keeping them in  the fridge so they're ready to use in flavourful sauces, salads, stews, pasta dishes, or anything else that takes our fancy! This was the perfect way to put some of those to good use. For this recipe, I used cavatappi- the ridges and curled shape are perfect for the cheesy sauce to cling onto, but traditional macaroni, penne, or fusilli would work well here. For an extra boost of protein, why not use pea or lentil based pasta?

Here's my veggie and protein filled vegan take on this absolute belter of a classic!
Enjoy for lunch, or dinner (...or breakfast- who's judging?!)

Ingredients (feeds 3-4 adults)
1 1/2 cups roasted root veggies- I used squash, potato, sweet potato, 3 cloves of garlic, and a shallot
1 pack (16oz/ 450g) silken tofu
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 tsp tamari / soy sauce
1 1/2 cups pasta water  (taken  from the water used to boil the pasta, full amount below)
Pasta- I used 1 160z pack of Cavatappi and had sauce to spare so a large serving os pasta or even double this amount would likely work without having to make more sauce!
~ 6-8 cups of water to boil the pasta in
3-4 sprigs of basil to serve (optional)

Method
In a large saucepan, bring the water to boil to cook the pasta.
In a food processor or blender blend the tofu, vinegar, tamari/ soy sauce, and roast vegetables together for 2-3 minutes. If the mixture is too thick, add a table spoon or two of water to help it blend.
Add the pasta and cook per the packet's instructions. Once ready, take 1 1/2 cups of pasta water and add to the blended mixtute along with the nutritional yeast, and garlic and onion powders. Blend again for around one minute, or until smooth, whilst draining the pasta.
Return the pasta to the saucepan, and pour the sauce over, stir to mix.
Serve in bowls with a sprig of fresh basil to garnish.
Alternatively, you can move this to a baking dish and cover in breadcrumbs and/ or cheese/ vegan cheese if you prefer a crunchy topping. Cook in a pre-heated oven at 425°F/ 220°C for 5-10 minutes until golden brown.