Vegan pumpkin mac 'n' cheese with roasted Brussels sprouts
After showing you a vegan version of classic mac and cheese, today we're adding an autumnal variation with pumpkin. Especially when it gets colder outside and we crave a warm, cozy meal, we're happy to serve seasonal vegetables with pasta, potatoes, and the like – vegetables we've been looking forward to all summer.
- For the Brussels sprouts:
- 500 g Brussels sprouts
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 EL Balsamicoessig
- 2 tbsp agave syrup
- Salt
- Pfeffer
- For the pumpkin mac and cheese:
- 500 g Macaroni
- 150 g cashew nuts (soaked in water for at least 30 minutes)
- 1 onion
- 250 g Hokkaido pumpkin
- 200 ml pasta cooking water
- 60 ml plant-based cream
- 3 tbsp yeast flakes
- 1 THE helle Misopaste
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- Nutmeg
- Cayenne pepper
- sweet paprika powder
- Salt
- Pfeffer
- For the breadcrumb topping:
- 2 cloves of garlic
- 5 g fresh sage
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 50 g panko breadcrumbs (or breadcrumbs)
- Salt
- Pfeffer
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (convection). If you haven't already done so, soak the cashews in a bowl of warm water for at least 30 minutes.
- Clean the Brussels sprouts and trim the stems slightly if necessary. Toss with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, agave syrup, salt, and pepper, then spread on a baking sheet or in a casserole dish. Roast the Brussels sprouts in the oven at 200°C (390°F) for about 15 minutes, or until lightly browned.
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. For the sauce, peel and halve the onion. Halve the pumpkin, remove the seeds, and cut into pieces. Cook the pumpkin and onion for about 10-15 minutes, until soft. Then drain the water.
- Just before the onion and pumpkin are soft enough, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and cook the pasta according to the package instructions. Reserve a large cup (about 200 ml) of the pasta water before draining.
- For the breadcrumb topping, finely chop the garlic and sage. Heat olive oil in a pan and toast the panko breadcrumbs for about 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Add the finely chopped garlic and sage and continue to fry for another 1-2 minutes. Season the crispy topping with salt and pepper and set aside.
- Drain the soaked cashews. Blend the cooked pumpkin and onion together with the cashews, about 200 ml of the pasta cooking water, and plant-based cream into a creamy sauce. Season with nutritional yeast, miso paste, lemon juice, nutmeg, cayenne pepper, paprika, salt, and pepper. If it's not creamy enough, add more pasta water or plant-based cream.
- Mix the pumpkin sauce with the cooked pasta and sprinkle with the panko-sage topping. Serve with roasted Brussels sprouts.
- Tip: This dish can be prepared gluten-free by using gluten-free pasta and nutritional yeast made from molasses. It is also soy-free if you omit the miso paste and use soy-free plant-based cream (e.g., oat cream).
Since we cook Brussels sprouts far too infrequently, they're making an appearance on our plate today, along with classic macaroni and a creamy pumpkin sauce. Of course, if you don't like Brussels sprouts, you can leave them out or replace them with other vegetables (e.g., broccoli). But let me tell you: there's hardly anything more delicious than crispy roasted Brussels sprouts – even Julia, who isn't usually a fan of Brussels sprouts, loves them this way.
For a crispy topping, we toasted panko breadcrumbs in a pan with garlic and sage. You can easily prepare this while the macaroni is simmering. In our opinion, it's the perfect crispy finishing touch to the dish. If you don't use all the topping, you can store it in a jar with a lid and use it in many other salads and pasta dishes.
