Our gluten-free Butternut Sage Mac and Cheese is the perfect comfort food this holiday season. We’ve started with our favorite gluten-free pasta and added our favorite, creamy butternut and sage cheese sauce. Oh my! Definitely, a satisfying meal to share with your family this season and all year long.
Simple Ingredients make this meal shine!
- Start with your favorite gluten-free pasta or regular pasta if gluten is not a problem for you. Make sure to follow the package instructions for cooking time.
- Raw cashews give this dish a creaminess everyone is looking for in a good mac and cheese. Remember to soak the cashews for a minimum of two hours or overnight.
- Nutritional Yeast is where we get our cheesy flavor. This combined with garlic make for a slightly pungent bite.
- Butternut Squash is a star in this dish and provides a beautifully rich color and bit of sweetness.
- Sage is such an amazing addition to this dish. It provides an earthiness that balances the sweet butternut squash nicely. For an added bonus, try steeping extra sage leaves in a little hot water for a soothing and delicious tea.
Our Butternut Sage Mac and Cheese is comfort food redefined!
This butternut version of a childhood classic offers the creaminess we crave without all of the guilt.
Other Family Friendly meals:
- Give our Vegan Vegetable Ragu a try. Serve over your favorite pasta as a family favorite. Check it out here.
- Gluten Free Pasta Salad goes a long way for a big family. We typically serve this up at lunchtime.
Butternut Sage Mac and Cheese
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Our gluten-free Butternut Sage Mac and Cheese is the perfect comfort food this holiday season. We've started with our favorite gluten-free pasta and added a creamy butternut and sage cheese sauce. Oh my!
Ingredients
- 1 package gluten-free pasta We love Tinkyada pasta and find it works well in this dish.
- 2 cups peeled and cubed butternut squash, about 1 medium size
- 2 teaspoons avocado oil
- 1/3 cup raw cashews soaked a minimum of two hours or overnight.
- 2-3 large fresh sage leaves minced
- Optional: 1/2 teaspoon ground dried sage This is an option if you do not have fresh sage on hand.
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg
- 3 tablespoons nutritional yeast We typically use Bragg Nutritional Yeast Seasoning. This one seems to have the most uniform and consistent flavor.
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1/4-1/2 cup plant milk or vegetable broth Either will work in this recipe. Start with 1/4 cup and add more as needed until desired consistency.
- to taste sea salt & cracked pepper
Instructions
- Soak 1/3 cup raw cashews in water for a minimum of 2 hours or overnight. Drain and set aside.
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Prepare butternut squash by peeling and cutting into 1-inch size cubes or use pre-packaged, cubed squash from your local market. Toss 2 cups of cubed squash with avocado oil or warmed coconut oil and a pinch of sea salt. Spread squash in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
- Roast 25-35 minutes or until slightly golden and soft in the center.
- Using a high-speed blender or food processor, add soaked and drained cashews, roasted squash, sage, garlic, onion powder, nutmeg, nutritional yeast, lemon juice, liquid, sea salt and pepper.
- Blend until creamy. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.
- Prepare pasta according to package directions. When pasta is soft, drain and return to pot. Pour butternut cheese sauce over hot pasta and stir to coat.
- Serving suggestion: Add a side of steamed broccoli and pinch of paprika as a garnish before serving.