Veggie Mac and Cheese

This came about because I was craving some comfort food. Oh, and I saw some Mac and Cheese on Cutthroat Kitchen. That's about all it takes to inspire me.

Luckily, this version is a bit healthier, and it sneaks in veggies (hint: to help give that popular orange color) and it has no dairy. Cool?

Serves: 4-6

Noodles:
13oz. box of whole wheat noodles (I used Barilla Penne)

Cook to package directions. When done, reserve 1 C of pasta water. Rinse in a colander in lukewarm water. Set aside until sauce is ready.

Note: I always set some plain noodles aside for my dogs, since my sauces usually have onion or stuff they can't eat, and I know they will give me the guilty dog stare. So, I probably used slightly less than the full box.

Sauce:
1 small white onion, diced small
1 red bell pepper, diced small
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1-2 C Vegetable broth (I use low sodium)
3 T flour (I use unbleached)
1/2 - 3/4 C Nutritional Yeast
2 t. turmeric powder
1 t. soy sauce or Bragg's liquid aminos
1 t. yellow mustard

Start with a medium saucepan. Add onion, bell pepper and carrot, add enough vegetable broth to barely cover. Heat to medium, and cook until onions are soft and most liquid is cooked away. Turn off once vegetables are cooked.

While the noodles and veggies cook, in a small saucepan, add flour. Add about 1/4 C to 1/2 C vegetable broth. Heat on medium-high, stirring constantly until you get a roux like texture (only there's no fat). Reduce heat to low, stir in nutritional yeast until incorporated and entire mix is wet. Add some of the reserved pasta water, if it's still too dry. Turn off heat and add turmeric, soy sauce and mustard. Mix until combined. Fold into cooked vegetable mixture.

Add the sauce and vegetable mixture to your blender. Pulse until all vegetables are smooth, you should have a nice yellow-orange color. (Note, if your sauce is still really hot, wait a bit, and make sure you vent the steam on your blender so it doesn't explode everywhere.)

In a large bowl, add blended sauce and veggies, toss in cooked noodles until fully combined. Plate into bowls, adding toppings (see below) and enjoy!

This sauce has a nice thick body, thanks to the veggies and flour. The bell pepper, carrot, turmeric, and mustard help with color, and the nutritional yeast really accomplishes the cheese flavor. Yum!

If haven't used nutritional yeast before, it's a great way to add a cheese flavor without dairy, and it's full of B vitamins.

Topping:
1 small tomato
Fresh herbs
Truffle salt
Black pepper

I topped with tomato slices, basil, truffle salt and pepper. Truffle salt just makes it pop more in your mouth, and it's a relatively inexpensive way to incorporate truffle flavor. You can add salt in the sauce, but if you add it at the end, you're likely to use less, so that helps cut down on extra salt.