Vegan Mac + Cheese with Pine Nut Bread Crumbs
Crispy, crunchy, tender and creamy all in one – with all the saucy pasta, sweet potatoes and kale you could want. The toasted bread crumbs with the pine nuts and Parmesan cheese, can’t be beat. I love all the textures and combinations of flavors.
While it might not be that 3 cheese stringy dish you are used to – this is worth a try! You will be pleasantly surprised!
I love sneaking in some greens into mac + cheese – I mean you can’t really taste it when it’s covered in the delicious sauce and crispy bread crumbs. It’s just an added bonus – you don’t know you are eating.
More pasta recipes, please.
Vegan Mac + Cheese with Pine Nut Bread Crumbs
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- Author: White Sparrow
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 medium sweet potato, small diced
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- salt and pepper, to season
- 1 lb. gluten free pasta
- 1/2 cup pasta cooking water
- 3 tablespoons salted butter
- 1 cup unsweetened coconut milk (or milk alternative of your choice)
- 3 heaping tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon smoked or regular paprika
- 1 heaping cup thrown kale
- 1 cup gluten free panko bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup pine nuts
- 3/4 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F. Combine the diced sweet potatoes and coconut oil together on a baking sheet tray. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven for 10 minutes or until slightly brown and tender. Remove and set aside.
- Meanwhile, boil a large pot of salted water and cook the pasta according to the package instructions – minus 1 minute.
- While the pasta is cooking, make the bread crumbs by melting the butter in a small sauce pan. When melted add in the bread crumbs and pine nuts and mix to combine – the bread crumbs will absorb all the butter. Turn the heat off and let it sit on the stove.
- Before you drain the pasta, remove 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid. Drain the pasta and let it sit in the colander.
- Return the pasta pot back to the stove over low heat. Add in the butter and coconut milk. Whisk to combine. When the butter is melted and the mixture starts to simmer or bubble, mix in the nutritional yeast, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, paprika and kale. Stirring well to fully combine – make sure there aren’t any clumps.
- Pour the drain pasta, pasta water and sweet potatoes into the pot and toss to combine. Turn the heat off.
- Add the pasta mixture into a baking dish or individual ramekins.
- Combine the Parmesan and bread crumb mixture together. Top the pasta with the bread crumb and cheese mixture and bake in the oven for 10 minutes. Turn to broil if you want the top to be toasted – just make sure to watch it as it can burn quickly and easily.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 25
- Category: vegetarian
- Method: stove-top
- Cuisine: dinner
Did you make this recipe? Take a picture and tag me @whitesparrowfoodco or #whitesparrowfoodco I’d love to hear what you thought of the recipe!