Creamy Coconut Mac & Cheese with Broccoli

• servings: 4 servings
• active time: 10 minutes
• total time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

10 ounces dried small pasta shells (or your favorite small pasta shape)

3 cups chopped fresh broccoli

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup full-fat coconut milk (from a can)

1 cup unflavored and unsweetened non-dairy milk of choice

1/3 cup nutritional yeast flakes

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons vinegar-based hot sauce, (such as Cholula or Valentina)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon salt, (plus more to taste)

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Set the timer according to the package directions for cooking the pasta until al dente. When the timer gets down to 2 minutes, add the broccoli to the pot and give it a stir. When the timer goes off, drain the pasta and broccoli into a colander and return them to the pot. Toss with a dash of oil to prevent sticking.

Coat the bottom of a large pot with 1 tablespoon of oil and place it over medium heat. When the oil is hot, whisk in the flour to form a thick paste. Cook the mixture, whisking constantly, until the mixture darkens a bit and begins to smell nutty, about two minutes.

Begin whisking in the coconut milk, a bit at a time, followed by the non-dairy milk. Keep whisking the mixture until there are no lumps.

Raise the heat to high and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat and allow the mixture to simmer, whisking frequently, for about five minutes, until it thickens up a bit.

Whisk in the nutritional yeast, soy sauce, hot sauce, vinegar, onion and garlic powders, and salt. Taste-test the sauce and season it with salt to taste. Adjust any other seasonings to your liking.

Add the pasta and broccoli to the pot with the coconut mixture. Stir everything up to distribute the ingredients. Allow the mixture to cook for about one minute, just until the pasta is perfectly tender. The sauce should thicken up a bit more during this time.

Remove the pot from heat and serve.

Nutrition

• Calories: 472 kcal
• Total Fat: 18 g
• Saturated Fat: 11 g
• Unsaturated Fat: 5 g
• Trans Fat: 0.02 g
• Sodium: 1081 mg
• Total Carbohydrate: 65 g
• Dietary Fiber: 5 g
• Total Sugars: 3 g
• Protein: 16 g