This is the best Mac & Cheese we've found. So worth making.
Mac & Cheese with Spinach
- 4 cups butternut squash, baked
- 1 cup cashews, soaked in 1½ cups hot water
- 2 dates
- 2 tablespoons no salt seasoning
- ½ cup nutritional yeast
- 2 teaspoons sriracha or hot sauce
- ground pepper to taste
- 11 oz fresh spinach (1 large clam shell)
- 16 oz. macaroni, or pasta of your choice
Cut the squash in half, seed it and bake at 375º for 45 minutes, or until soft.
In a food processor, add the cashews, dates, no salt seasoning, yeast, sriracha and pepper and process until smooth.
Cook the pasta, timing it to finish 5 minutes after the squash is done.
I like to wilt the spinach. You can wilt it by placing it in a large pan and adding the pasta to it right after the pasta is done and still hot. Or, you can add ½ inch water to a pan large enough to hold the spinach. Bring to boil and add the spinach, stirring every 30 seconds just until it’s slightly wilted. Pour any excess water off and cover. Then add it to the pasta when it’s ready.
Scoop the squash out of its shell and add 4 cups to the sauce in the processor, blending well until smooth. If it’s too thick, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time. If it’s too thin, add more nutritional yeast, 1 tablespoon at a time.
Drain the pasta and put it back in the cooking pan. Add the wilted spinach if you didn’t wilt it in the hot pasta and combine.
Pour the sauce in, mix well and serve.