Simple vegan mac n' cheese!

I got this recipe from THE SIMPLE VEGANISTA... one of my new favorite blogs, but just tweaked and changed around a few things. This mac n' cheese is amazing, and a blessing to vegans who miss their beloved cheesy pasta. Ready in 15 minutes, this is a great quick and easy recipe, and the ingredients in it are way better for you (and less fattening) than cheese!

Ingredients:

-1 package of pasta of your choice (to stick to the traditional route, definitely go with macaroni) here I used tri-color spiral pasta, but you can also try whole wheat, cous cous, quineo, or rice for other protein options instead of plain pasta
-olive oil
-2 heaping tablespoons of whole wheat or almond flour
-about 1- 1½ cups of unsweetened almond milk (or any other non-dairy milk) depending on how thick you want the cheese sauce
-½ cup of nutritional yeast
-spices of your choice: try chili or chipotle powder (both recommended in original recipe) for an extra spicy kick, black pepper, ground himalayan or sea salt (a must to compliment the yeasty taste), I personally prefer Trader Joe's 21 season blend, and I also added a teaspoon of garlic paste and a good dousing of turmeric (also good to create a nice cheesy color the natural way!)


Directions:

Boil pasta and cook according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, fill a small sauté pan with olive oil, just enough to cover the bottom well and add your heaping tablespoons of flour. Begin to blend together with a whisk and turn heat on high so it begins to bubble a bit. Add more oil if the combination appears too dry. Add nutritional yeast and keep stirring. The sauce will start getting pretty thick (and probably dry too), so now you can add your almond milk to thin it out. While stirring still, add spices and garlic. With time, your "cheese" will thicken, and you can adjust ingredients accordingly (for example, add more milk if you'd like to thin it out) and once you get a taste you may decide to add more salt.

Once pasta is done, drain and put in large serving bowl. Once cheesy sauce stirs smoothly and is at your preferred consistency, pour over cooked pasta and mix well. Makes a great main entree with a side of veggies or a tasty side dish. Don't hesitate to put some "add ins" in there for extra protein: I'm thinking next time maybe some broccoli, onions, tomatoes, vegan beefy crumbles or even tempe. Experiment as much as you want. Enjoy!