A recipe from Jessica Seinfeld’s “Vegan, at Times.”
Macaroni and Cheese
Serves: 6. Total time: 55 minutes. Active time: 35 minutes
- For the macaroni and cheese:
½ teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1 pound short pasta
3 tablespoons olive oil
5 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4½ cups unsweetened cashew or almond milk
16 ounces (4 cups) shredded plant-based cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- For the breadcrumb topping:
1 cup panko or coarse dried breadcrumbs
3 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley, for serving
Position the oven rack about 8 inches from the top and heat the oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, then salt it. Add the pasta and cook until it’s a few minutes short of al dente (it will continue to cook in the oven). Drain into a colander and pass under cold running water to stop the cooking. Shake out any excess water.
Meanwhile, to make the cheese sauce, in a large pot or Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, for about 3 minutes to cook out the raw flavor of the flour. Add 1 cup of the milk and whisk until it forms a smooth paste. Continue to whisk in the remaining milk a little at a time, at first, to avoid lumps. Let the mixture reach a simmer while whisking often, paying attention to the corners where the flour can collect.
