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Home » Recipes » Main Dishes

Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Published: Oct 28, 2022 by Bianca · This post may contain affiliate links · Leave a Comment

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Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

If pasta in a creamy, dreamy pumpkin sauce sounds good to you, you will love this vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese made from real Hokkaido pumpkin, not pumpkin purée.

Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

This is the perfect fall-ified version of mac and cheese: Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese.

The creamy sauce is made with

  • cashew cream (cashews mixed with water)
  • roasted Hokkaido pumpkin cubes
  • roasted onion

You can serve this Pumpkin Mac and Cheese as a main dish or as a side dish with e.g. vegan steak, sausages, or part of a Thanksgiving or Christmas feast.

Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

How to make Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

The ingredients

  • elbow pasta or macaroni pasta
  • Hokkaido pumpkin
  • yellow onion
  • oil (olive oil for coating the pumpkin cubes and onion works fine)
  • cashews (I use roasted & salted cashews, but you can also use unsalted, unroasted cashews, just add a bit more salt)
  • salt
  • water

Possible Add-Ins

You can also upgrade this Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese by adding:

  • peas
  • spinach
  • caramelized onions
  • crispy tofu/tempeh cubes
  • mushrooms
  • roasted Brussels sprouts

The basic steps

pumpkin cubes and onion on baking tray
pumpkin cubes and onion on baking tray
Step 1: Roast pumpkin cubes and onion in the oven.
cooked pasta
Step 2: Boil the pasta.
cashews and water in blender
cashew cream in blender
Step 3: Blend cashews and water in a blender to make cashew cream.
pumpkin, onions and cashew cream in blender
pumpkin cheese sauce
Step 4: Add the roasted pumpkin, onion, salt, and some of the pasta water to the blender with the cashew cream and blend.
Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese
Step 5: Pour the pumpkin sauce over the drained pasta and mix well!

Serve it with…

  • Pan-Roasted Brussels Sprouts in Soy Sauce
  • Braised Red Cabbage
  • Vegan Steak with Herb Butter and Roasted Potatoes

Love it? Rate it!

I hope you enjoy this vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese as much as I do! Let me know if you give it a try!

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Cheers, Bianca

Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese

Bianca Haun | Elephantastic Vegan
If pasta in a creamy, dreamy pumpkin sauce sounds good to you, you will love this vegan Pumpkin Mac and Cheese made from real Hokkaido pumpkin, not pumpkin purée.
5 from 2 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 minutes mins
Cook Time 35 minutes mins
Total Time 45 minutes mins
Course Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine American, Vegan
Servings 3 people
Calories 732 kcal

Equipment

Blender
Blender

Ingredients
 
 

  • 3 cups elbow pasta
  • ½ Hokkaido pumpkin halved, deseeded, peeled, cut into cubes (300g)
  • 1 yellow onion roughly chopped
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • ⅓ cup cashews roasted & salted are the best to use; but unroasted and unsalted is okay too!
  • ⅔ cup water
  • ½ teaspoon salt more to taste

Instructions
 

  • Put the pumpkin cubes on a baking tray lined with parchment paper. Drizzle them with olive oil. Mix well until coated evenly. Spread them out. Add roughly chopped yellow onion. Bake at 400°F/200°C for about 30-35 minutes until slightly brown and soft.
  • Meanwhile, boil the pasta. (Save the pasta water for the pumpkin sauce)
  • Blend cashews and water in a blender to make cashew cream.
  • Into the cashew cream, add the roasted pumpkin, onion, and salt. Blend. Add more and more pasta water until it is thin enough to pour. I added ⅔ cup of pasta water.
  • Pour the pumpkin sauce over the drained pasta and mix well! And it's ready to serve. I've added chopped fresh parsley on top.

Nutrition

Calories: 732kcalCarbohydrates: 132gProtein: 23gFat: 13gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 7gSodium: 411mgPotassium: 1254mgFiber: 9gSugar: 11gVitamin A: 3099IUVitamin C: 31mgCalcium: 108mgIron: 4mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @elephantasticvegan or tag #elephantasticvegan!
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5 from 2 votes (2 ratings without comment)

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Welcome!

I’m Bianca. On my blog, you’ll find easy & delicious vegan recipes. I create 'meaty', 'fishy', and 'cheesy' recipes because I like to blow minds.

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