This comfort food favorite is made healthier by blending butternut squash, almond milk, miso and nutritional yeast to make a rich, creamy sauce that’s got a good dose of nutrients while still seeming decadent. Gluten-free pasta made with ancient grains quinoa and amaranth adds fiber and a nutty bite.
Mac n Cheese With Broccoli
Ingredients
- 2 cups (170g) gluten-free short pasta shapes, such as Simply Organic gluten-free rotini
- 2 cups (113g) small broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 cup (150g) chopped onion
- 1 1/2 cups (227g) frozen butternut squash, defrosted
- 2 medium garlic cloves, chopped
- 3/4 cup (177ml) unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1/4 cup (20g) nutritional yeast
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon miso
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
Directions
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook according to package instructions, adding the broccoli to the pot the last 2 minutes of cooking. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking liquid.
While the pasta water is heating up, make the sauce. In a large sauté pan or skillet, melt the oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until tender, 4 minutes. Add the garlic and squash and sauté until fragrant, 1 minute. In a blender, combine the sautéed vegetables, almond milk, nutritional yeast, cornstarch, miso, lemon juice, mustard, salt and pepper and blend until smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender once.
Pour the contents of the blender into the sauté pan and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until thickened and bubbly, 1 minute. Add the cooked pasta and broccoli and remove from heat. Add the reserved pasta cooking water, if needed, to loosen the sauce. Serve immediately.
Serves: 4 | Serving Size: 1 cup
Nutrition (per serving): Calories: 262; Total Fat: 6g; Saturated Fat: 3g; Monounsaturated Fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 486mg; Carbohydrate: 46g; Dietary Fiber: 6g; Sugar: 6g; Protein: 8g
