Whole Food, Plant-Based Recipe Cajun Butternut Squash Mac and Cheese

Ingredients

• 2 boxes of whole-grain elbow pasta (any type)
  

• ½ of a medium butternut squash, peeled and
  
• cubed
  
• ½ T regular or smoked paprika
  
• ½ T onion powder
  
• Salt to taste
  
• 1 cup preferred plant-based milk
  
• Cayenne pepper to taste
  
• 1½ T nutritional yeast
  
• Parsley for a garnish (optional)

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. In a large pot, bring water to a boil. Start with 4 cups, add in more as needed.
3. When the water reaches a boil, add 2 boxes of pasta and allow it to cook for designated time: cooking time may vary due to pasta brand and type.
4. As the pasta cooks, prepare your cajun butternut squash cheese sauce. In a separate pot, add butternut squash to boiling water.
5. Allow butternut squash to cook for 8 to 12 minutes or until you can pierce through it with a fork or knife.
6. When the pasta is soft, drain it, and set aside in a large bowl.
7. Put the cooked butternut squash in a blender with onion powder, plant-based milk, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutritional yeast. Blend until creamy then pour over pasta.
8. Stir the contents completely until cheese sauce is equally distributed. .
9. Pour pasta and cheese mixture into a baking pan, and bake in the oven at 350°F for 15 minutes. Sprinkle fresh parsley on top before serving.