Creamy Butternut Mac and Cheese - Vegan

It's been years since I ate dairy (on purpose) so I don't have strong cravings for cheese dishes super often but when I do... woof. The craving is STRONG. So the moment I saw those spooky pasta noodles in Aldi and my brain went "those would be real cute as mac n cheese", I knew it was gonna happen. This recipe don't taste like Kraft by any means but it is tasty, creamy, and "cheesy". The only downside is that it doesn't keep well. When stored in the fridge overnight, the coconut milk and mustard flavors become through stronger making it taste completely different so eat up while it's hot! And feel free to halve the recipe if you aren't cooking for several people.

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Creamy Butternut Mac and Cheese

ingredients :

• 1 cup roasted butternut
• 1/2 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup almonds
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon dried shiitake mushrooms
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard (optional)
• 1 can coconut milk
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp paprika 
• 1/2 a yellow onion, minced
• olive oil
• pasta
• salt

directions:

1. Place all of the ingredients except for the last 4 in a blender and blend until completely smooth.
2. In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the onion in a bit of olive oil until they are translucent. 
3. Add the blended ingredients and stir. Let cook about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent burning on the bottom.
4. Cook your pasta in salted water according to package directions.
5. Drain your pasta and spoon an appropriate amount of sauce on top. Taste and add the necessary salt. 
6. Eat immediately. This recipe unfortunately doesn't keep long term as the coconut and mustard flavors become more prominent when stored overnight (i'm working on another recipe that can be kept as a sauce in the fridge). So if you don't plan on making a lot of pasta, I suggest you halve the recipe.