Cauliflower mac n' cheese with tempeh bacon and pecan parmesan (TO DIE FOR!)

This recipe is by far the best I've ever made. Not going to lie, it was labor-intensive since there were multiple recipes within the recipe, but if you have the time and are looking to impress (anyone else or just yourself!) I PROMISE, that it is well well worth it. Thanks again Kristy Turner, author of "But I Could Never Go Vegan!".

Ingredients:

 2 ½-3 cups of chopped cauliflower florets (about ½-1 full head of cauliflower)

olive oil or coconut oil spray

¾ teaspoon of garlic powder

¼ teaspoon of smoked paprika

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup of raw cashews, soaked in water for at least 1 hour (and discard the water)

1 ½ cups of non-dairy milk

½ cup of nutritional yeast

3 tablespoons of lemon juice

2 tablespoons of vegan butter, melted

1 ½ tablespoons of tomato paste or tomato powder

½ tablespoon of mustard

2 teaspoons of white miso

½ teaspoon of onion power

½ teaspoon of turmeric

16 ounces of pasta (gluten free if necessary)

1 batch of tempeh bacon crumbles (made ahead of time)

1 cup of pecan parmesan (made ahead of time, or in between steps that require down time)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat. Spread cauliflower florets on the sheet and spray with oil. Sprinkle ¼ of the garlic powder, along with the paprika, salt and pepper over the florets. Bake for 20-25 minutes, flipping halfway through. When it's tender and golden remove from oven and allow to cool.

To make the cheese sauce, combine cashews and milk in a food processor until smooth. Add nutritional yeast, cooled cauliflower, lemon juice, melted vegan butter, tomato paste/powder, mustard, miso, onion powder, turmeric, and remaining garlic powder. Process until smooth.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees and spray a casserole dish with oil spray.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and cook pasta until soft.

Drain pasta, and mix with cheese sauce thoroughly. Fold in tempeh bacon crumbles and put mixture into casserole dish. Top with pecan parmesan.

Bake for 5-10 minutes until topping is golden.