Recipe: Vegan Green Chili Mac and Cheese

I’ve made this recipe for green chili macaroni and cheese more times than I can count, and I love it every time. It totally satisfies my cravings for creamy/cheesy pasta dishes while eating plant-based. It’s made from cashews ground in a food processor and nutritional yeast for the “cheesy” taste. 

This time, I made this recipe with orecchiette pasta. I like trying out new pasta shapes each time I make it.

The recipe I use (from Minimalist Baker) says to soak the cashews in water for 4-6 hours before blending them in the food processor. I’ve done that every time until today, and this time not soaking them, I thought it turned out just as good.

I love making something like this on my day off to eat for dinners throughout the week. It reheats really well. This time I added spinach, but this works great with lots of different vegetables. I’m particularly fond of broccoli and portobello mushrooms.

The green chilis and the chili powder give this pasta a little kick which I love but which is not too intense for a spicy food wimp like me. I really recommend this one!

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This recipe is adapted from Minimalist Baker’s mac n cheese recipe.

1 box pasta (fun shape of your choice)

1/2 an onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 c. raw cashews

1 1/2 c. vegetable broth

1 tbsp corn starch

1/2 tsp cumin

3/4 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp nutritional yeast

4 oz can diced green chilis

vegetables of your choice

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Cook pasta according to box. Sauté onion and garlic in some olive oil until soft and fragrant, about 5 minutes. Add to a food processor or blender with all the other ingredients besides the vegetables you’re adding (only add half of the can of green chilis- the other half you will mix into the finished pasta). Blend until the sauce looks smooth and only a little grainy. Pour sauce in a pan and cook over medium heat until it thickens, a few minutes. Mix in the noodles, the other half of green chilis, and whatever vegetables you’d like to add. Sprinkle with some chili powder before serving. Enjoy!

Until next time,

Spencer