During this cold front, there’s no better time to enjoy a bowl of comfort food! To make matters better, enjoy it in the comfort of your home. Mac & Cheese is an ultimate childhood favorite for most my clients, friends..and even myself. So, I decided to recreate this classic recipe into a dairy free & gluten free, #Solutions approved dish! Check out the the recipe below!

Recipe: Vegan Banza Mac & Cheese

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• 1 package of Banza Cavatappi Chickpea  Pasta

• 1 large roasted carrot

• 1 cup roasted butternut squash

• 1/2 cup of nutritional yeast

• 1/4 cup of cashews (soaked for 5 minutes in warm water)

• 1 tsp dijon mustard

• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

• 1/4 onion , finely chopped

• 2 cups of sautéed organic baby spinach

• 1/2 cup of nut milk (almond works fine)

• 1 tbsp of tomato paste

• 1 garlic clove, minced

• 1/2 tsp of paprika

• salt & pepper to taste

• crushed red pepper to taste

Decided to go with this Banza Cavatappi Chickpea Pasta instead of a traditional elbow pasta.

I recommend cooking the pasta about 6 minutes for an “al-dente” finish. Drain and immediately rinse pasta under running lukewarm water.

Instructions:

• Roast the carrot and butternut squash at 450 degrees for 15 minutes.

• Cook banza pasta using instructions on package.

• Meanwhile, in a pan sauté the onion and garlic together until slightly browned.

• Add all the ingredients (except pasta, salt, pepper and paprika) to a small food processor to create the sauce.

• Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add it into a medium- sized pot with a tablespoon of olive oil.

• Add the sauce along with the cooked spinach  into the “pasta pot”, and stir to combine well. Bring pot to very low heat and add crushed red pepper, paprika & salt and pepper to taste. Finally, remove from heat to be served.

• Garnish with dairy free cheese, fresh basil and enjoy!