Healthier Pumpkin Mac & Cheese – Lower Fat
This is a healthier lower fat version of the classic where we make a delicious cheese sauce out of pumpkin. This is an amazing recipe for transitioning into the autumn season. We got a huge crop of pumpkins on the farm this year and this is one of our favourite ways to enjoy them!
Takes 30 minutes
Serves 6
Ingredients
Macaroni:
- 300 g whole wheat or gluten-free macaroni about 3 cups dry
Pumpkin Cheese Sauce:
- 300 g pumpkin puree about 1¼ cups or freshly cooked pumpkin
- 60 g cashew nuts about ½ cup
- 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
- 240 ml plant-based milk 1 cup
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 clove of garlic
- ½ tsp smoked paprika optional, for a smoky flavour
- Salt and pepper to taste
Breadcrumb Topping:
- 40 g bread crumbs about ⅓ cup
- 2 tbsp oil
- Pinch salt
- 2 sprigs of thyme or ½ tbsp dried thyme
- 2 tbsp nutritional yeast
Instructions
- Prepare the pasta: Cook the macaroni according to package instructions. Drain and set aside.
- Make the sauce: In a blender or food processor, combine the pumpkin/ pumpkin puree, cashews, nutritional yeast, almond milk, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Blend until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.
- Heat the sauce: Pour the blended sauce into a saucepan and heat over medium-low heat, stirring frequently until the sauce thickens slightly (about 5-7 minutes). You want it to be warm but not boiling.
- Prepare Bread Crumb Topping: Combine the bread crumbs with oil, salt, and either chopped fresh thyme leaves (ensure to remove leaves from stalk) or dried thyme.
- Combine pasta and sauce: Add the cooked pasta to the sauce and stir until the pasta is fully coated.
- Assemble Dish: Transfer the pasta mixture to a casserole dish (24cm x 16cm x 4cm deep) , level it out, and evenly spread the bread crumb topping over it.
- Bake: Bake for 5 minutes in the oven or until the bread crumbs are golden brown or 3-5 minutes in an airfryer or until the breadcrumbs go golden.
- Serve and enjoy!
