Autumn is for comfort food, and does anything fit the bill more than pasta? I’ve named this vegan ‘macaroni cheese’ slightly tentatively because it uses neither macaroni nor cheese – I prefer the chunkiness and texture of rigatoni, and their larger tubes hold more of the creamy sauce. The cheesy flavour comes mostly from the nutritional yeast, with extra savoury notes from the mustard and pine nuts. If you prefer your pasta extra cheesy though, add a handful of grated vegan cheese to the sauce and scatter extra on top before baking.
Ingredients (serves 4):
– 2 leeks, sliced
– 4 spring onions, sliced
– 3 garlic cloves, crushed
– 1 tsp dried thyme
– 350g rigatoni
– 70g dairy-free spread
– 50g wholemeal plain flour
– 850ml oat milk
– 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard, to taste
– 3 tbsp nutritional yeast
– pinch of cayenne pepper
– 10g fresh parsley, chopped
– 30g panko breadcrumbs
– 1 tbsp pine nuts
- Preheat the oven to 200°C. Heat a splash of olive oil in a large saucepan over a low-medium heat and cook the leeks, spring onion, garlic and thyme for 10-12 minutes until very soft. Tip into a baking dish (approx 25 x 35 cm or 3.5L) and set aside.
- Cook the pasta for 2 minutes less than the pack instructions. Drain well, then tip into the baking dish with the leeks.
- Meanwhile, melt the spread in a separate saucepan. Stir in the flour and cook for 1 minute to make a paste. Add the oat milk a little at a time, stirring frequently to give a smooth sauce. Stir in the mustard, nutritional yeast and cayenne pepper; season. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes to thicken. If it reduces too much, add another splash of milk. Stir into the baking dish along with the fresh parsley and mix well.
- Scatter with the breadcrumbs and pine nuts. Bake for 25-30 mins, until the topping is golden and the sauce is bubbling up around the sides.
Bryony's Kitchen 